tortuca

Forms

tortūca f (genitive tortūcae); first declension^[1] Variant spellings include tortua and tortuga.^[2]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.^[3][2] Wiktionary takes it as a Latinization of an Ibero-Romance word: it is then borrowed from Spanish tortuga, with Catalan tortuga and Asturian tortuga beside it.^[1] The DMLBS calls its origin doubtful and compares tortua, which it takes from Anglo-Norman tortue.^[3] Etymonline mentions a derivation from Late Latin tartaruchus (“of the underworld”) and another proposal from tortus¹ (“twisted”), after the shape of the animal's feet.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is a Medieval Latin word, which Etymonline dates to the mid-13th century.^[4] The DMLBS quotes it from Odo of Cheriton's fables, where a tortoise living in wet, deep places asks an eagle to carry it up into the air.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The Classical word for the animal was testūdō,^[4] which Matthaeus Silvaticus glosses as testudo.^[5] British writers used it for both the river turtle and the edible land tortoise,^[3] and Ockham and Kilvington use it in arguments comparing the speed of a horse with that of a tortoise.^[3] In a glossary it renders English “whelk”, and German glosses translate it as “snail” as well as “tortoise”.^[3][2] The English forms tortuse, tortuce and tortuge, from which tortoise was later altered, all come from it.^[4]

Timeline

• mid-13th century – tortuca is recorded in Medieval Latin.^[4]
• 14th century – Glosses render it with German words for “tortoise”.^[2]
• late 14th century – English tortuse and tortuge are recorded, from this word.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A tortoise or turtle.^[3][1][2]
2. (Medieval Latin, in glosses) A shelled mollusc, a whelk; a snail.^[3][2]

Related words

• testūdō
• English tortoise

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre