Distortion
/dɪˈstɔːr.ʃən/noun
A twisting or change from the original shape, sound, meaning, or form.
Did you know?Distortion comes from Latin roots meaning “to twist apart,” and its ancestor verb could describe both physical bending and moral or mental corruption.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*terk-
“to twist, turn”
Latin
Latin
torquēre
“to twist, turn, wrench”
Latin
Latin
distortus
“twisted apart, misshapen”
Old French
Old French
distorsion
“a twisting, contortion”
Middle English
English
distorsioun
“a twisting, perversion”
Modern English
English
distortion
“a change from the original form or shape”