contort

Where does the word "contort" come from? It comes from Latin torquere, passing through Latin before entering English (1400s).

Contort’s story begins in Latin: torquere meant “to twist.” To twist, combined with com- (together). Within Latin, it grew into contorquere by ancient. To twist together, to whirl, from com- and torquere. It reached English by 1400s as contort. Settled as the English word for twisting something out of its normal shape. Today, contort means to twist or bend something into an unnatural shape.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient torquere "to twist", to twist, combined with com- (together).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient contorquere "to twist together, to whirl", to twist together, to whirl, from com- and torquere.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s contort "to twist something out of its normal shape", settled as the English word for twisting something out of its normal shape.