Where does “vernacular” come from?
Vernacular comes from Latin vernaculus, formed from Latin verna with the diminutive suffix -culus, ultimately from the diminutive suffix -lus.
vernacular (English): The language of a people or a national language;...
Definitions
- The language of a people or a national language;...
Ancestry of “vernacular”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | vernāculus | native, domestic, indigenous, vernacular (originally of slaves) |
| 2 | Latin | -culus | Alternative form of -ulus; added to a noun to... |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | *-kelos | Diminutive suffix |