Where does “forte” come from?
Forte comes from Latin fortis, derived from Latin fors meaning chance or fortune, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- meaning to carry or bear.
forte (English): A strength or talent; The strong part of a sword...
Definitions
- A strength or talent; The strong part of a sword...
Ancestry of “forte”, step by step
forte traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French fort
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | fort | strong |
| 2 | Old French | fort | strong; strongly |
| 3 | Latin | fortis | strong, powerful; firm, resolute, steadfast,... |
| 4 | Old Latin | forctis | strong |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | forktis | strong, robust |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰerǵʰ- | to rise; high, lofty; hill, mountain |
via Latin forte
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | forte | ablative singular of fors; by chance,... |
| 2 | Latin | fors | luck, chance; perhaps, perchance |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | fortis | luck, chance |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰértis | the act of carrying, bearing |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |
via Italian forte
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | forte | fort, fortress; strong; stressed |