Where does “vertiginous” come from?
Vertiginous comes from French vertigineux, meaning dizzy or dizzying, ultimately from Latin vertīginosus, an adjective derived from vertīgo meaning a spinning or whirling sensation.
vertiginous (English): Having an aspect of great depth, drawing the eye...
Definitions
- Having an aspect of great depth, drawing the eye...
Ancestry of “vertiginous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | vertigineux | vertiginous; dizzy |
| 2 | Latin | vertiginōsus | Suffering from vertigo or giddiness |
| 3 | Latin | vertīgō | gyration, giddiness, dizziness |
| 4 | Latin | -igo | Enlargement of -ō; Suffixed to nouns and to... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | agō | drive; push, impel; do, act |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éǵeti | to be driving |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |