Where does “vulgar” come from?
Vulgar comes from Latin vulgaris, formed with the suffix -aris, which derives from -alis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -li-.
vulgar (English): Debased, uncouth, distasteful, obscene; Having to...
Definitions
- Debased, uncouth, distasteful, obscene; Having to...
Ancestry of “vulgar”, step by step
vulgar traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin vulgaritas
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | vulgaritas | multitude |
| 2 | Latin | -tās | ty, -dom, -hood, -ness, -ship |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ts | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -tós | Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems |
via Middle English vulgare
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | vulgare | ordinary, usual |