Where does “controversy” come from?
Controversy comes from Old French controversie, from Latin controversia, a noun formed with the suffix -ia from versus (turned against), the past participle of vertere (to turn), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer- (to turn).
controversy (English): A debate or discussion of opposing opinions; strife
Definitions
- A debate or discussion of opposing opinions; strife
Ancestry of “controversy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | controversie | — |
| 2 | Old French | controversie | — |
| 3 | Latin | contrōversia | a quarrel, dispute, debate |
| 4 | Latin | contrōversus | controversial, debatable, disputed |
| 5 | Latin | versus | turned, changed, having been turned; towards,... |
| 6 | Latin | vertō | to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | wertō | to turn |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |