Where does “universally” come from?
Universally comes from Middle English universally, formed from Middle English universiti (universal) and the adverbial suffix -ly, which derives from Old English -līċ, ultimately from Latin universalis (of or belonging to all), formed from versus (turned) and the suffix -alis.
universally (English): In a universal manner
Definitions
- In a universal manner
Ancestry of “universally”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | universally | en masse; impacting or influencing everything or... |
| 2 | Middle English | universal | all-encompassing, subject to everything and... |
| 3 | Old French | universal | universal |
| 4 | Latin | universalis | universal; general |
| 5 | Latin | ūniversus | whole, entire, taken collectively or altogether |
| 6 | Latin | versus | turned, changed, having been turned; towards,... |
| 7 | Latin | vertō | to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | wertō | to turn |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |