Where does “varsity” come from?
varsity (English) comes from English University, from Middle English universite, from Anglo-Norman université, from Old French universitei, from Medieval Latin universitas, from Latin ūniversitās, from Latin ūniversus, from Latin versus — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
varsity (English): university; The principal sports team...
Definitions
- university; The principal sports team...
Ancestry of “varsity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | University | — |
| 2 | Middle English | universite | A university or college; The totality of students... |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | université | university |
| 4 | Old French | universitei | university |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | universitas | group of teachers and students; university;... |
| 6 | Latin | ūniversitās | — |
| 7 | Latin | ūniversus | — |
| 8 | Latin | versus | turned, changed, having been turned; towards,... |
| 9 | Latin | vertō | — |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | wertō | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
Words derived from “varsity”