tor

See also: Tor and Appendix:Variations of "tor"

English

WOTD – 19 February 2013

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /tɔɹ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /tɔː/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /toː/

  • Audio (General Australian):

    (file)

• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /tɔːɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)
• Homophones: torr; tore (horse–hoarse merger); tour (UK, pour–poor merger); taw (non-rhotic)

Etymology 1

From Middle English tor, torr-, from Old English torr, tor (“a high rock, lofty hill, tower”), possibly from Proto-Celtic, compare Old Welsh *tor (“hill”); ultimately from Latin turris (“tower”), from Ancient Greek τύρρις (túrrhis), τύρσις (túrsis, “tower”), of non-Indo-European origin.

Cognate with Cornish tor, Scottish Gaelic tòrr, Welsh tŵr, Irish tor, French tor, and Romansch tor/tur/tuor; the first four are Celtic (from Latin turris), the last two directly from Latin turris (from Ancient Greek τύρρις (túrrhis) and τύρσις (túrsis)). It is not clear whether the Celtic forms were borrowed from Old English or vice versa. Doublet of tourelle, tower, and turret.

Tor near the summit of Knocknagun, in Wicklow, Ireland

Noun

tor (plural tors)

1. (geology) A craggy outcrop of rock on the summit of a hill, created by the erosion and weathering of rock.
   • 1855, Charles Kingsley, Westward Ho!: Or, The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, […], volume I, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, page 183:

     Bursdon and Welsford were then, as now, a rolling range of dreary moors, unbroken by tor or tree, […]

   • 1901 August – 1902 April, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, chapter 9, in The Hound of the Baskervilles: Another Adventure of Sherlock Holmes, London: George Newnes, […], published 1902, →OCLC:

     The moon was low upon the right, and the jagged pinnacle of a granite tor stood up against the lower curve of its silver disc.

2. (South-West England) A hill with such rock formation.
   • 2008, Lydia Joyce, Shadows of the Night‎^[1], Signet Eclipse, →ISBN, page 242:

     She had slipped the letters into her pocket next to the packet of antique documents and had taken an umbrella—as the sky was ominous out over the distant tors—and strolled around the manor house and down the road toward the village.

Translations

outcrop of rock

• Bulgarian: чукар (bg) m (čukar)
• Finnish: toori
• Spanish: risco (es) m

hill — see hill

Etymology 2

Adjective

tor (comparative more tor, superlative most tor)

1. Alternative form of tore ("hard, difficult; strong; rich").

See also

• TOR
• Tor
• torr
• Torr

 

Anagrams

• ORT, OTR, ROT, RTO, TRO, ort, rot

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch tor, from Middle Dutch torre. Compare the probably cognate Germanic etymology of English dor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔr/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

tor (plural torre)

1. beetle

Aromanian

Alternative forms

• tornu

Etymology

From Latin tornō. Compare Romanian turna, torn.

Verb

tor first-singular present indicative (third-person singular present indicative tore, past participle turate)

1. to return, come back
2. to pour
3. to respond
4. to rethink

Related terms

• turari
• turat
• arãstor

See also

• vers

Azerbaijani

Other scripts

Cyrillic		تور
Abjad

Etymology

Inherited from Common Turkic *tor. Cognate with Old Turkic [script needed] (tor, “net”), Southern Altai тор (tor, “net”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

tor (definite accusative toru, plural torlar)

1. net

Declension

Declension of tor
	singular	plural
nominative	tor	torlar
definite accusative	toru	torları
dative	tora	torlara
locative	torda	torlarda
ablative	tordan	torlardan
definite genitive	torun	torların

Possessive forms of tor
	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	torum	torlarım
sənin (“your”)	torun	torların
onun (“his/her/its”)	toru	torları
bizim (“our”)	torumuz	torlarımız
sizin (“your”)	torunuz	torlarınız
onların (“their”)	toru or torları	torları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	torumu	torlarımı
sənin (“your”)	torunu	torlarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	torunu	torlarını
bizim (“our”)	torumuzu	torlarımızı
sizin (“your”)	torunuzu	torlarınızı
onların (“their”)	torunu or torlarını	torlarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	toruma	torlarıma
sənin (“your”)	toruna	torlarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	toruna	torlarına
bizim (“our”)	torumuza	torlarımıza
sizin (“your”)	torunuza	torlarınıza
onların (“their”)	toruna or torlarına	torlarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	torumda	torlarımda
sənin (“your”)	torunda	torlarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	torunda	torlarında
bizim (“our”)	torumuzda	torlarımızda
sizin (“your”)	torunuzda	torlarınızda
onların (“their”)	torunda or torlarında	torlarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	torumdan	torlarımdan
sənin (“your”)	torundan	torlarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	torundan	torlarından
bizim (“our”)	torumuzdan	torlarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	torunuzdan	torlarınızdan
onların (“their”)	torundan or torlarından	torlarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	torumun	torlarımın
sənin (“your”)	torunun	torlarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	torunun	torlarının
bizim (“our”)	torumuzun	torlarımızın
sizin (“your”)	torunuzun	torlarınızın
onların (“their”)	torunun or torlarının	torlarının

Breton

Etymology

From Middle Breton torr, teur, from Old Breton tar, from Proto-Celtic *torr-V- (“belly”), of uncertain origin; according to Matasovic, of non-Indo-European origin, but according to MacBain, from Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- (“to turn, rub”), cognate with Proto-Germanic *þarmaz (“guts, intestines”), Ancient Greek τάμισος (támisos, “rennet”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtoːr/

Noun

tor m (plural torioù, collective toroù)

1. (anatomy) belly, stomach, abdomen

Synonyms

• kof

Noun

tor

1. Hard mutation of dor.

Mutation

Mutation of tor

	unmutated	soft	aspirate	hard
singular	tor	dor	zor	unchanged
plural	torioù	dorioù	zorioù	unchanged

References

• Matasović, Ranko (2009) “torrV-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 385
• MacBain, Alexander, Mackay, Eneas (1911) “tor”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎^[2], Stirling, →ISBN, page tàrr

Cimbrian

Etymology

From Middle High German tor, from Old High German tor, from Proto-Germanic *durą (“large door; gate”). Cognate with German Tor, English door.

Noun

tor n (Luserna)

1. gate, gateway
2. large doorway

References

• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /toːr/, [tˢoːˀɐ̯]

Verb

tor

1. present of to

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch torre, of uncertain origin, possibly an imitative Middle Dutch base turren (“buzz”). Compare cognate West Frisian tuorre, toarre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔr/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: tor
• Rhymes: -ɔr

Noun

tor f (plural torren, diminutive torretje n)

1. beetle, insect of the order Coleoptera

Synonyms

• kever

Derived terms

• boktor
• kniptor
• meeltor
• schildpadtor
• watertor

 

Descendants

• Afrikaans: tor

Further reading

• van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “tor”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

Anagrams

• rot

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtor]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: tor
• Rhymes: -or

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

tor (plural torok)

1. (literary, archaic or folksy) meal, repast, feast (ceremonial meal held after weddings, funerals, or other special occasions)

   Synonym: lakoma

   halotti tor ― funeral feast

   disznótor ― meal on pig-killing day (literally, “pig meal”)

Declension

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	tor	torok
accusative	tort	torokat
dative	tornak	toroknak
instrumental	torral	torokkal
causal-final	torért	torokért
translative	torrá	torokká
terminative	torig	torokig
essive-formal	torként	torokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	torban	torokban
superessive	toron	torokon
adessive	tornál	toroknál
illative	torba	torokba
sublative	torra	torokra
allative	torhoz	torokhoz
elative	torból	torokból
delative	torról	torokról
ablative	tortól	toroktól
non-attributive possessive - singular	toré	toroké
non-attributive possessive - plural	toréi	torokéi

Possessive forms of tor
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	torom	toraim
2nd person sing.	torod	toraid
3rd person sing.	tora	torai
1st person plural	torunk	toraink
2nd person plural	torotok	toraitok
3rd person plural	toruk	toraik

Derived terms

• disznótor

Etymology 2

From Latin thorax, from Ancient Greek θώραξ (thṓrax, “breastplate, chest”), created during the Hungarian language reform, which took place in the 18th–19th centuries.

Noun

tor (plural torok)

1. (zoology) thorax (of an arthropod)

   Coordinate terms: fej, potroh

Declension

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	tor	torok
accusative	tort	torokat
dative	tornak	toroknak
instrumental	torral	torokkal
causal-final	torért	torokért
translative	torrá	torokká
terminative	torig	torokig
essive-formal	torként	torokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	torban	torokban
superessive	toron	torokon
adessive	tornál	toroknál
illative	torba	torokba
sublative	torra	torokra
allative	torhoz	torokhoz
elative	torból	torokból
delative	torról	torokról
ablative	tortól	toroktól
non-attributive possessive - singular	toré	toroké
non-attributive possessive - plural	toréi	torokéi

Possessive forms of tor
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	torom	toraim
2nd person sing.	torod	toraid
3rd person sing.	tora	torai
1st person plural	torunk	toraink
2nd person plural	torotok	toraitok
3rd person plural	toruk	toraik

Further reading

• (ceremonial meal): tor in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• (thorax): tor in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t̪ˠɔɾˠ/
• (Munster) IPA^(key): /t̪ˠʌɾˠ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish tor.

Noun

tor m (genitive singular toir, nominative plural toir)

1. bush, shrub; clump, tuft

   Synonym: tom

2. head (of cabbage)

   Synonym: ceann

Declension

Declension of tor (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative tor toir vocative a thoir a thora genitive toir tor dative tor toir forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an tor na toir genitive an toir na dtor dative leis an tor don tor leis na toir

Derived terms

• ó thor go tom (“from pillar to post”)
• tor caprais (“caper”)
• tor nimhe (“poison oak”)

Etymology 2

Probably from Proto-Celtic (Cornish tor, Scottish Gaelic tòrr), possibly borrowed from Old English torr (“a high rock, tower”), though the reverse is more likely; all ultimately from Latin turris (“tower”) and of non-Indo-European origin.

More at English tor and tor. Also compare Latin Taurini.

Noun

tor m (genitive singular toir, nominative plural toir)

1. (geography) tall rock; steep rocky height
2. (literary) tower; towering warrior, pillar (of battle)

Declension

Declension of tor (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative tor toir vocative a thoir a thora genitive toir tor dative tor toir forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an tor na toir genitive an toir na dtor dative leis an tor don tor leis na toir

Etymology 3

Noun

tor m

1. Alternative form of toradh

Etymology 4

Noun

tor m (genitive singular toir, nominative plural toir)

1. Alternative form of tarathar

Declension

Declension of tor (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative tor toir vocative a thoir a thora genitive toir tor dative tor toir forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an tor na toir genitive an toir na dtor dative leis an tor don tor leis na toir

Mutation

Mutated forms of tor

radical	lenition	eclipsis
tor	thor	dtor

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “tor”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• “tor”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin turris, turrim.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Gascony):

  (file)

Noun

tor f (plural tors)

1. tower

   Synonym: torre

2. (chess) rook

Old English

Noun

tor m

1. Alternative form of torr

Old French

Etymology 1

From Latin turrim, from Ancient Greek τύρρις (túrrhis), τύρσις (túrsis).

Alternative forms

• tur, tour, toer

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtuɾ/
• Rhymes: -ur

Noun

tor oblique singular, f (oblique plural tors, nominative singular tor, nominative plural tors)

1. tower

Descendants

• Middle French: tour
  • French: tour
    • → Breton: tour
    • → Russian: тура́ (turá)
    • → Ukrainian: тура́ (turá)
• Walloon: tour
• → Middle Low German: tōrn, tōren
  • German Low German: Toorn, Toren
  • → Estonian: torn
  • → Latvian: tornis
  • → Old Norse: turn
    • Danish: tårn
    • Faroese: torn
    • Icelandic: turn
    • Norwegian: tårn
      • → Northern Sami: toardna
    • Old Swedish: torn
      • Swedish: torn
      • → Finnish: torni
• → Old Dutch: turn
  • Middle Dutch: torre
    • Dutch: toren (see there for further descendants)
    • Limburgish: toeare
    • West Flemish: torre
• → Old English: torr, tūr, tor
  • Middle English: tour, thour, tor, tore, toure, towere, towour, tur
    • English: tower (see there for further descendants)
    • Scots: tour, towr
    • Yola: toweare
• → Old Frisian: torn
  • West Frisian: toer
• → Old High German: turn
  • Middle High German: turn, turm, tuorn, torn, torm
    • Alemannic German: Durm, Tuure
    • Bavarian: Tuam
    • Central Franconian:
      • Hunsrik: Torrem
      • Luxembourgish: Tur
    • German: Turm (see there for further descendants)
    • Yiddish: טורעם (turem)
    • → Polish: turma
• → Irish: túr
• → Scottish Gaelic: tùr

Etymology 2

From Latin taurus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔr/
• Rhymes: -ɔr

Noun

tor oblique singular, m (oblique plural tors, nominative singular tors, nominative plural tor)

1. bull (bovine)

Derived terms

• torel (whence French taureau)

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɔr/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔr
• Syllabification: tor

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *torъ, from *terti.

Noun

tor m inan

1. track, course, path
2. rail track
3. lane (a part of a sports track)
4. trajectory

Declension

Declension of tor

	singular	plural
nominative	tor	tory
genitive	toru	torów
dative	torowi	torom
accusative	tor	tory
instrumental	torem	torami
locative	torze	torach
vocative	torze	tory

Derived terms

adjectives

• dwutorowy
• torowy

 

nouns

• podtorze
• torowiec
• torowisko

 

verb

• torować

 

Etymology 2

From Latin thorium, from Old Scandinavian Thorr.

Noun

Chemical element
Th
Previous: aktyn (Ac)
Next: protaktyn (Pa)

tor m inan

1. thorium

Declension

Declension of tor

	singular
nominative	tor
genitive	toru
dative	torowi
accusative	tor
instrumental	torem
locative	torze
vocative	torze

Etymology 3

Named for Evangelista Torricelli, an Italian physicist.

Noun

tor m inan (abbreviation Tr)

1. torr

Declension

Declension of tor

	singular	plural
nominative	tor	tory
genitive	toru	torów
dative	torowi	torom
accusative	tor	tory
instrumental	torem	torami
locative	torze	torach
vocative	torze	tory

Etymology 4

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

tor

1. genitive plural of tora

Further reading

• tor in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• tor in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

From Latin torus.

Noun

tor n (plural toruri)

1. torus

Romansch

Alternative forms

• tur (Rumantsch Grischun, Sutsilvan)
• tuor (Sursilvan, Puter, Vallader)

Etymology

From Latin turris, turrem, from Ancient Greek τύρρις (túrrhis), τύρσις (túrsis).

Noun

tor m (plural tors)

1. (Surmiran) tower

Scanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [téʊːɐ]

Noun

tor

1. March (month)

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *torъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tôːr/

Noun

tȏr m (Cyrillic spelling то̑р)

1. corral, cote

Declension

Declension of tor

	singular	plural
nominative	tȏr	tòrovi
genitive	tora	torova
dative	toru	torovima
accusative	tor	torove
vocative	toru	torovi
locative	toru	torovima
instrumental	torom	torovima

Further reading

• “tor”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2024
• “tor”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2024

Turkish

Alternative forms

• toru
• toy

Etymology 1

From Proto-Turkic *tōr- (“a kind of young animal”). Related to toy.

Noun

tor (definite accusative toru, plural torlar)

1. young
2. novice
3. whelp
4. beginner
5. recruit

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	tor
Definite accusative	toru
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	tor	torlar
Definite accusative	toru	torları
Dative	tora	torlara
Locative	torda	torlarda
Ablative	tordan	torlardan
Genitive	torun	torların

References

• „tor“ in the dictionary of the Turkish language (TDK)
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “toraman”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “torun”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “torlak”, in Nişanyan Sözlük

Etymology 2

Inherited from Common Turkic *tor (“net for catching birds or fish”). Cognate with Azerbaijani tor and Kazakh тор (tor).

Noun

tor (definite accusative toru, plural torlar)

1. (dialectal) net, mesh
2. (dialectal, by extension) mosquito net
3. (dialectal) trap

Uzbek

Other scripts
Yangi Imlo
Cyrillic	тор‍
Latin	tor‍
Perso-Arabic (Afghanistan)

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *d(i)ār.

Adjective

tor (comparative torroq, superlative eng tor)

1. narrow, tight

Noun

tor (plural torlar)

1. string

Venetan

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

tor

1. (transitive) to take
2. (transitive) to get

Volapük

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [toɾ]

Noun

tor (nominative plural tors)

1. bull

Declension

declension of tor

	singular	plural
nominative	tor	tors
genitive	tora	toras
dative	tore	tores
accusative	tori	toris
vocative 1	o tor!	o tors!
predicative 2	toru	torus

• ¹ status as a case is disputed
• ² in later, non-classical Volapük only

Synonyms

• hibub

Antonyms

• kun
• jibub

Derived terms

• torül (“bull calf, male calf”)

Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔr/

Etymology 1

Deverbal from torri

Noun

tor m (uncountable)

1. breaking, breach

Derived terms

• di-dor (“uninterrupted, continuous”)
• tor contract (“breach of contract”)
• tor cyfraith (“breach of law”)
• tor diogelwch data (“data breach”)
• tor heddwch (“breach of the peace”)

 

Verb

tor

1. (literary) third-person singular present/future of torri

   (colloquial) torrith, (colloquial) torriff

2. (literary) second-person singular imperative of torri

   (colloquial) torra

Etymology 2

Noun

tor f (plural torrau or torroedd, diminutive torryn)

1. abdomen

Mutation

Mutated forms of tor

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
tor	dor	nhor	thor

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

• Griffiths, Bruce, Glyn Jones, Dafydd (1995) Geiriadur yr Academi: The Welsh Academy English–Welsh Dictionary‎^[3], Cardiff: University of Wales Press, →ISBN
• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “tor”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies