Where does “Vestal” come from?
Vestal comes from English Vesta, from Latin Vesta, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wes-, referring to the Roman goddess of the hearth and home.
Vestal (English): Alternative form of vestal; Synonym of Vestan
Definitions
- Alternative form of vestal; Synonym of Vestan
Ancestry of “Vestal”, step by step
Vestal traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English AL
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | AL | Initialism of assembly language; Initialism of... |
| 2 | Dutch | al | all, all of; already; yet |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | al | all, all of; completely; even though, no matter... |
| 4 | Old Dutch | āl | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | all | all |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | allaz | all |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂él- | to grow, nourish |
via English vesta
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | vesta | a short match, made of wood or wax |
| 2 | Middle English | Vesta | The Roman goddess of the hearth and home; Vesta |
| 3 | Latin | Vesta | goddess of the hearth |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wes- | to dwell, live, reside; to stay, spend the night |
via Latin Vestālis
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | Vestālis | Of or pertaining to Vesta, goddess of hearth and home |