Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “vegan” come from?

Vegan derives from English vegan, influenced by Italian -ana and Old Spanish vayca, ultimately from Latin -anus and Proto-Italic -os.

vegan (English): Relating to Vega; Someone from Vega, which is...

Definitions

  1. Relating to Vega; Someone from Vega, which is...

Ancestry of “vegan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishvegetarianA person who does not eat animal flesh, or, in...
2EnglishvegetableAny plant; A plant raised for some edible part of...
3Middle Englishvegetable—
4Old Frenchvegetable—
5Latinvegetabilisanimating, enlivening, vivifying; able to produce...
6LatinvegetoI arouse, enliven, quicken, animate, invigorate;...
7Latinvegetusenlivened, lively, animated, vigorous, active,...
8LatinvegeoI move, excite, quicken, arouse; I am lively or...
9Proto-Italicwegeōto be active, lively
10Proto-Italicwegejō—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanwoǵ-éye-—
12Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵ-lively, awake; strong
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵ- →