Where does “force” come from?
force (Middle English) comes from Old French force, from Latin fortia, from Latin fortis, from Old Latin forctis, from Proto-Italic forktis, from Proto-Indo-European bʰerǵʰ- — to rise; high, lofty; hill, mountain.
Ancestry of “force”, step by step
force traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French force
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | force | strength; might |
| 2 | Latin | fortia | nominative neuter plural of fortis; accusative... |
| 3 | Latin | fortis | strong, powerful; firm, resolute, steadfast,... |
| 4 | Old Latin | forctis | strong |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | forktis | strong, robust |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰerǵʰ- | to rise; high, lofty; hill, mountain |