The word "tornado" has an interesting etymology rooted in both Spanish and Latin origins.

1. Spanish Influence:

The word "tornado" comes from the Spanish word "tronada", which means "thunderstorm" or "thunder". "Tronada" itself is derived from "tronar", meaning "to thunder". The root of "tronar" is "tronus" in Latin, which also relates to thunder.

2. Modification to "Tornado":

As the word evolved, it likely underwent a change influenced by another Spanish word, "tornar", which means "to turn" or "to twist". The connection to the idea of turning or twisting is evident in the way a tornado moves as a violent, rotating storm.

3. English Adaptation:

When the word was adopted into English during the 16th century, it took on the form "tornado" to describe a storm with powerful winds that twist and turn violently, which closely matches the current definition of a tornado.

In summary, the word "tornado" combines ideas of both "thunder" and "turning", reflecting the nature of the violent, rotating storms that we call tornadoes today.

a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system.