Where does “us versus them” come from?
us versus them (English) comes from English versus, from Middle English versus, from Latin versus, from Latin vertō, from Proto-Italic wertō, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
us versus them (English): A state of opposition between two groups, mostly...
Definitions
- A state of opposition between two groups, mostly...
Ancestry of “us versus them”, step by step
us versus them traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English versus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | versus | Against; in opposition to; Compared with, as... |
| 2 | Middle English | versus | — |
| 3 | Latin | versus | turned, changed, having been turned; towards,... |
| 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 |