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tortiller

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Etymology and origin of the French word tortiller

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Back-formation
First attested
c. 1200 Roman de Renart More words from the 12th century
Ultimate origin
Latin *intortilio
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French entortiller
French tortiller

Pronunciation

  • /tɔʁ.ti.je/[1]

Forms

tortiller[1] Old French tortoillier (about 1200), then tourtillier (late 14th century); tortiller is recorded in 1419.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is probably a back-formation from French entortiller.[5][2][6][4][3] The TLFi, the DHLF and Bloch and Wartburg prefer this to a Vulgar Latin *tortiliō, formed on tortus (“twisted”), because no other Romance form supports it.[5][2][6] The Grand Robert and Wiktionary still give that Latin verb, from tortilis (“coiled”), or *intortiliō.[7][1] The FEW files it under the latter.[8] Meyer-Lübke set the French verb beside Italian attortigliare and intortigliare.[9] Its link with tordre is still felt.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1200 as tortoillier in the Roman de Renart, meaning “to twist tight”.[5][3]

Semantic evolution

From “to twist something pliant several times” the verb passed to turning a part of the body this way and that (early 17th century).[2] The intransitive tortiller des fesses (1640, Oudin) described a swaying walk, and figuratively the verb meant to look for evasions (1669); the familiar il n'y a pas à tortiller “there is no getting round it” is found in the 18th century.[5][2] The reflexive se tortiller “to wriggle” is recorded from 1768 or 1812.[5][2] In 1821 the slang of the Brest prison has it for “to eat up quickly”.[5][2]

Timeline

  • c. 1200 – Tortoillier appears in the Roman de Renart.[5][2]
  • 1419 – The spelling tortiller is recorded.[2][3]
  • 1640 – Oudin records tortiller des fesses.[5][2]
  • 1669 – It is used for looking for evasions.[5][2]
  • 1723 – Il n'y a pas à tortiller is recorded.[5]
  • 1768 – Diderot uses the reflexive “to writhe”.[5]
  • 1821 – It is recorded in the sense “to eat”.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To twist something pliant round and round: il tortillait sa cravate.[4][5]
  2. (intransitive) To sway or wiggle: tortiller des hanches.[4][5]
  3. (intransitive, figurative) Il n'y a pas à tortiller: there is no getting round it, no point in hesitating.[4][2]
  4. (reflexive) Se tortiller: to wriggle, to squirm.[4][1]
  5. (slang) To eat up quickly.[5][3]

Word family

  • tortillage
  • tortillard
  • tortillement
  • tortillon
  • détortiller

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 769b
  9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
Cite this entry

“Tortiller.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/tortiller. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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