Where does “vertical” come from?
Vertical comes from Middle French vertical, from Late Latin verticalis, an adjective formed from Latin vertere meaning to turn, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer-.
vertical (English): Standing, pointing, or moving straight up or...
Definitions
- Standing, pointing, or moving straight up or...
Ancestry of “vertical”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | vertical | — |
| 2 | Latin | verticālis | highest in the hierarchy |
| 3 | Latin | vertex | whirlpool, eddy, vortex; crown; top, peak, summit |
| 4 | Latin | vertō | to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | wertō | to turn |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |