Where does “vocabulary” come from?

Vocabulary comes from French vocabulaire, from Late Latin vocabularium, from Latin vox meaning voice or word, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wekʷ-.

vocabulary (English): A usually alphabetized and explained collection...

Definitions

  1. A usually alphabetized and explained collection...

Ancestry of “vocabulary”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinvocābulāriumvocabulary, dictionary, wordlist
2Latinvocābulumword
3Latinvocōto call, summon, beckon (with one's voice)
4Latinvōxvoice
5Proto-Italicwōksvoice
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwṓkʷsvoice, speech
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwekʷ-to speak, to sound out

Words derived from “vocabulary”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wekʷ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wṓkʷs →Every word from Proto-Italic wōks →