Detour
/ˈdiːtʊr/noun
A longer or indirect route taken to avoid an obstruction or reach a destination.
Did you know?Detour entered English through French, while its deeper root is connected to the same turning vocabulary that produced tour, turn, and tornado.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*terh₂-
“To turn, rub, or pass through; a reconstructed root associated with rotational motion.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
tórnos
“A lathe or compass-like instrument used for making circular turns.”
Classical Latin
Latin
tornāre
“To turn on a lathe; to shape by rotating.”
Old French
Old French
tour
“A turn, circuit, or journey; descended from Latin forms related to turning.”
Middle French
French
détour
“A turning away; an indirect route.”
18th Century
English
detour
“A circuitous or alternative route, recorded in English from the 1700s.”
Explore more surprising origins