Where does “university” come from?
University comes from Middle English universite, from Anglo-Norman université, from Old French universitei, from Latin universitas meaning a whole or aggregate, derived from universus meaning whole or universal, from versus meaning turned, ultimately from vertere meaning to turn.
university (English): Institution of higher education where subjects...
Definitions
- Institution of higher education where subjects...
Ancestry of “university”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | universite | A university or college; The totality of students... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | université | university |
| 3 | Old French | universitei | university |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | universitas | group of teachers and students; university;... |
| 5 | Latin | ūniversitās | the whole |
| 6 | Latin | ūniversus | whole, entire, taken collectively or altogether |
| 7 | Latin | versus | turned, changed, having been turned; towards,... |
| 8 | Latin | vertō | to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | wertō | to turn |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |