Etymologically
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torreo

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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
  • 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