distort

Where does the word "distort" come from? It comes from Latin torquere, passing through Latin before entering English (1560s).

Distort’s story begins in Latin: torquere meant “to twist.” To twist, combined with dis- (apart). Within Latin, it grew into distorquere by ancient. To twist apart, to distort, from dis- and torquere. It reached English by 1560s as distort. Settled as the English word for twisting something out of its true or natural shape. Today, distort means to twist or misrepresent something out of its true or natural form.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient torquere "to twist", to twist, combined with dis- (apart).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient distorquere "to twist apart, to distort", to twist apart, to distort, from dis- and torquere.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1560s distort "to twist something out of its true or natural shape", settled as the English word for twisting something out of its true or natural shape.