Where does “versus” come from?
Versus comes from Middle English versus, from Latin versus meaning "turned" or "directed," derived from the verb vertere "to turn," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer-.
versus (English): Against; in opposition to; Compared with, as...
Definitions
- Against; in opposition to; Compared with, as...
Ancestry of “versus”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | versus | — |
| 2 | Latin | versus | turned, changed, having been turned; towards,... |
| 3 | Latin | vertō | to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | wertō | to turn |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |