Etymology

Probably from a Vulgar Latin root *intorticlāre < *intorticulāre, or from the less used variant form întortoca, from *intorticāre, from Latin intortus. Alternatively a derivation from the Romanian întort, from the aforementioned Latin participle. Compare French entortiller, Spanish entortijar, Friulian intorteâ, Catalan entortellar, which may instead derive from a related Vulgar Latin root *intortiliāre, from Latin tortilis ‎(“twisted, coiled”).