'truncate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'truncare', where the root 'trunc-' meant 'to cut off' or 'to maim'.

'truncate' came into English via Medieval/Late Latin (past participle 'truncatus' of 'truncare') and developed into the modern English word 'truncate'.

Initially it meant 'to maim or cut off (a limb)', but over time it evolved to the current primary sense 'to shorten by cutting off' and specialized senses such as 'to discard part of data' in computing.