Where does “universe” come from?
universe (Middle English) comes from Old French univers, from Latin ūniversum, 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.
universe (Middle English): The universe; the stars
Definitions
- The universe; the stars
Ancestry of “universe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | univers | the whole world; the whole Earth; universal;... |
| 2 | Latin | ūniversum | — |
| 3 | Latin | versus | turned, changed, having been turned; towards,... |
| 4 | Latin | vertō | to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | wertō | to turn |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |