Where does “subvert” come from?
Subvert comes from Old French subvertir, from Latin subvertere meaning to overthrow, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root ád.
subvert (English): To overturn from the foundation; to overthrow; to...
Definitions
- To overturn from the foundation; to overthrow; to...
Ancestry of “subvert”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | subverten | — |
| 2 | Old French | subvertir | — |
| 3 | Latin | subverto | I overturn, upset, overthrow; I destroy, subvert |
| 4 | Latin | vertō | to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | wertō | to turn |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |