English
turbid
Turbid comes from Latin turbidus ‘disturbed’, and perhaps goes back to Ancient Greek τύρβη ‘disorder, confusion, tumult’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτύρβη1túrbē‘disorder, confusion, tumult’uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEturba1‘mass, throng, crowd, tumult, disturbance’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEturbidus1‘disturbed’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500turbide1
- Englishearliest quotation 1776turbid1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English turbid
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1776, Joseph Priestley: “Towards the last I increased the heat, and by…”.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτύρβηWiktionary, English turbidtúrbē‘disorder, confusion, tumult’uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEturbaWiktionary, English turbid‘mass, throng, crowd, tumult, disturbance’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEturbidusWiktionary, English turbid‘disturbed’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500turbideWiktionary, English turbid
- Englishearliest quotation 1776turbidWiktionary, English turbid. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1776, Joseph Priestley: “Towards the last I increased the heat, and by…”
Linked words
through Latin turba ‘mass, throng, crowd, tumult, disturbance’
Today it means
adj Having the lees or sediment disturbed; not clear. (of a liquid)
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “turbid”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek τύρβη / turbid