Where does “vice versa” come from?
vice versa (Latin) comes from Latin versus, from Latin vertō, from Proto-Italic wertō, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
vice versa (Latin): the position having been reversed
Definitions
- the position having been reversed
Ancestry of “vice versa”, step by step
vice versa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin versus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | versus | turned, changed, having been turned; towards,... |
| 2 | Latin | vertō | to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | wertō | to turn |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |