torreo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈtɔr.re.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtɔr.re.o]^[1]

Forms

torreō (present infinitive torrēre, perfect active torruī, supine tostum); second conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *tors-eje- (“to scorch”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *tors-éye- (“to make dry”), a causative of Proto-Indo-European *ters- (“to be dry”).^[2][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek τέρσομαι (térsomai, “to become dry”), Old High German derren (“to dry”) and Hittite tarš- (“to dry”), and with English thirst.^[2][3][4] M. Weiss explains torrēns “torrent” as a participle “the dry one” of a stative verb, so that no shift from “burning” to “rushing” is needed.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus.^[2] The OLD's first quotation is Ennius on scorched walls left standing.^[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to heat until dry or burning, to scorch, parch or roast, and of other sensations to burn, as of cold or fever.^[3] Virgil uses it of drying and roasting grain, and Ovid of roasting meat.^[6] The participle tostus and Vulgar Latin *tostāre gave Old French toster and English toast.^[7]

Its derivatives include torridus “parched”, whose Medieval Latin phrase torrida zōna gave English torrid, and the participle torrēns, the source of English torrent.^[7]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius speaks of scorched walls standing tall.^[3][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of roasting grain.^[6][5]
• late 14th century – English toast “to brown with heat” is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To dry by heat, scorch, parch.^[3]
2. To roast, bake.^[6]
3. (of cold, fever, passion) To burn, affect with a burning sensation.^[3]

Word family

• attorreō
• contorreō
• dētorreō
• extorreō
• retorreō
• torrefaciō
• torrēs
• torrescō
• torridus
• torror

Related words

• terra
• testa
• torridō
• torrēns
• English toast
• English torrent
• English torrid

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com