Etymologies

Tortoise - 1550s, altered from Middle English tortuse (late 15th century), tortuce (mid 15th century), tortuge (late 14th century). From Medieval Latin tortuca (13th century), tartaruchus (which means of the underworld) and tortus (twisted, based on shape of the feet).

Turtle - 1600s, from marine tortoise from French; modern French tortue or tortre. Associated with beasts, unknown origin. Later extended to land tortoises.

Harbour

Harbour (BE)/Harbor (AmE)

• ME word has been assumed to be taken from Norse, but the phonology points rather to an OE type (might be taken from Norse).

• The history shows two lines of phonetic change:
  • her -> her
  • the weakening of the second element to –ber, -bor, -bour
  • The current form “harbour” exhibits both of these changes.

• Various spellings – it appears in modern-day form (both BE and AmE) in 17th century
• Meanings:

• • a. Shelter, lodging, entertainment: sojourn, abode – as early as mid-12th century (spelled as herbyrȝe)
  • b. The “house,” mansion, zodiac (Chaucer)
  • c. Retreat of wild animals
  • d. Used figuratively
  • e. Port (late 13th century)
  • f. Airship shed/hangar (1909, 1912)
  • g. A vessel used for mixing ingredients for glass making (19th century)
  • h. A number of compounds

Glamour

• Etymology: Originally Scots, introduced into the literary language by Scott. A corrupt form of the word grammar. ; for the sense compare gramarye n.:
  • gramarye, n. Etymology: < Old French *gramarye: see grammar n.
    • †1. Grammar; learning in general. Obs. (1320-1500)
    • 2. Occult learning, magic, necromancy. Revived in literary use by Scott. (1470-1883)
• Semantic development of "glamour":
  • 1. Magic, enchantment, spell; esp. in the phrase to cast the glamour over one (1720-1894)
  • 2.
    • a. A magical or fictitious beauty attaching to any person or object; a delusive or alluring charm. (1840-1874)
    • b. Charm; attractiveness; physical allure, esp. feminine beauty; freq. attrib. (see Compounds 2). colloq. (orig. U.S.). (1937-1958)
• Compounds
  • C1.
    • a. glamour gift n. 1813, glamour might n. 1805
    • b. glamour-learned adj. 1823
  • C2.
    • glamour boy n. a young man who possesses glamour; spec. (slang) a member of the R.A.F. (1939-1954)
    • glamour girl n. a glamorous young woman; a ‘pin-up girl’. (1935-1956)

References:

"glamour | glamor, n." OED Online. Oxford University Press, December 2015. Web. 9 December 2015.