Where does “versus” come from?

versus (Latin) comes from Latin vertō, from Proto-Italic wertō, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

versus (Latin): turned, changed, having been turned; towards,...

Definitions

  1. turned, changed, having been turned; towards,...

Ancestry of “versus”, step by step

versus traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Latin vertō

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinvertōto turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve
2Proto-Italicwertōto turn
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwert-to turn, to rotate
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

via Latin vorsus

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinvorsusturned
2Proto-Italicworssos—

Words derived from “versus”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →
versus — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer