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Where does the word "turret" come from? It comes from Latin turris, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
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Where does the word "turret" come from? It comes from Latin turris, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
Turret’s story begins in Latin: turris meant “tower.” The root of 'tower'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as torete. A diminutive of 'tor'. It reached English by 1300s as turret. Gun turrets on warships date from the 1860s. Today, turret means a small tower on a building; a rotating gun housing.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient turris "tower", the root of 'tower'.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval torete "small tower", a diminutive of 'tor'.
- Stage 3 · English · 1300s turret "small tower", gun turrets on warships date from the 1860s.