Where does “verve” come from?
Verve comes from French verve, from Late Latin verva, from Latin verbum meaning "word," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer- meaning "to speak."
verve (English): Excitement of imagination such as that which...
Definitions
- Excitement of imagination such as that which...
Ancestry of “verve”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | verve | eloquence; verve, brio |
| 2 | Latin | verva | — |
| 3 | Latin | verbum | word; proverb, saying; verb |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | λόγος | That which is said: word, sentence, speech,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | λέγω | I put in order, arrange, gather; I choose, count,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ- | to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to... |