Where does “vertical” come from?
vertical (French) comes from Late Latin verticalis, from Latin vertex, from Latin vertō, from Proto-Italic wertō, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
vertical (French): vertical
Ancestry of “vertical”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | verticalis | highest in the hierarchy; located over the head,... |
| 2 | Latin | vertex | whirlpool, eddy, vortex; crown; top, peak, summit |
| 3 | Latin | vertō | — |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | wertō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
Words derived from “vertical”