Etymology of the English word volte-face
the English word
volte-facederived from the French word
volte-facederived from the Italian word
volta-facciaderived from the Italian word
voltaderived from the Vulgar Latin word
volvitaderived from the Classical Latin word
volvere (to roll; envelop, wrap up; unroll; roll along, forward; move sinuously; roll, cause to roll; travel in circle)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*wel-Date
The earliest known usage of volte-face in English dates from the 19th century.
Usage
Word found in Modern English
