Somersault
/ˈsʌm.ər.sɔːlt/noun
A leap or movement in which the body turns forward or backward in a complete circle.
Did you know?The word entered English through French forms tied to acrobatic leaps, and its older history is tangled with medieval equestrian imagery rather than any mystical meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Latin
Latin
saltus
“a leap, jump, or bound”
Old French
OF
somersault / soubresaut
“a sudden leap or bound, especially of a horse”
14th–15th Century
English
somersault
“a leap or acrobatic turn over the head”
Modern English
English
somersault
“a full forward or backward rotation of the body”