A Tour Is a Circle That Returns to Its Start
A tour is a journey visiting several places. The word's root means a turn.
A tour is a journey visiting several places and returning to the start. The circularity is in the word: Latin *tornus* was a lathe, a tool that turns, and French *tour* means a turn or circuit. A tour that did not come back would be a journey, not a tour. The word *tourist* dates from around 1780, coined during the Grand Tour — the extended European circuit undertaken by wealthy young Britons, which gave us both the industry and its vocabulary.
- A circuit journey. *A walking tour.*
- A performance series. *On tour.*
- To travel around. *Touring Italy.*
- Tourist — a traveller. *A tourist.*
- Latin — *tornus*, a lathe. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | tour | A tour. |
| Verb | tour | Touring. |
| Agent | tourist | A tourist. |
| Noun | tourism | Tourism. |
| Related | turn | To turn. |
- They took a guided tour.Travel.
- The band is on tour.Music.
- Tornus was a lathe.Etymology.
The Grand Tour
- A circuit of Europe undertaken by wealthy young Britons
- Paris, Geneva, Florence, Rome and Naples were standard stops
- It could last from a year to several
- Tourist was coined around 1780 from the practice
- Railways later made the route accessible to the middle classes
Old French *tour*, a turn or circuit, from Latin *tornus*, a lathe, from Greek *tornos*.
Why does tour mean a circuit?
Because its root is a lathe, a turning tool. A tour turns back to where it started.
When was the word tourist coined?
Around 1780, during the era of the Grand Tour of Europe.