Where does “variety” come from?
Variety comes from Middle French varieté, from Latin varietas, derived from the Latin adjective varius with the suffix -tās, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -teh₂.
variety (English): The quality of being varied; diversity; A...
Definitions
- The quality of being varied; diversity; A...
Ancestry of “variety”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | varieté | variety |
| 2 | Latin | varietās | difference, diversity, variety |
| 3 | Latin | varius | diverse, different, various, variegated |
| 4 | Latin | vārus | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wer- | to lift up; to moisten; to flow; to raise, hang |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |