Testudine
/ˈtɛs.tjʊ.daɪn/noun
Relating to turtles or tortoises.
Did you know?Latin testudo meant both a tortoise and a roofed Roman siege formation, because the soldiers’ locked shields looked like a shell.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tes-
“To dry, parch”
Latin
Latin
testa
“A piece of baked clay; a tile, shell, or pot-sherd”
Latin
Latin
testūdō
“A tortoise; also a covered Roman siege formation”
Late Latin
Latin
testūdin-
“The stem used in learned formations for tortoise-like or shell-like things”
16th Century
English
testudine
“Tortoise-like; relating to turtles or tortoises”