Where does “usual” come from?
usual (Middle English) comes from Old French usuel, from Latin usualis, from Latin ūsus, from Latin ūtor, from Proto-Slavic *ǫtorъ, from Proto-Slavic torъ, from Proto-Slavic terti, from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.
usual (Middle English): customary, established; usual, normal, regular
Definitions
- customary, established; usual, normal, regular
Ancestry of “usual”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | usuel | — |
| 2 | Latin | usualis | that is for use, that is in service: utilitarian;... |
| 3 | Latin | ūsus | use, employment, exercise, advantage |
| 4 | Latin | ūtor | to use, make use of, employ |
| 5 | Proto-Slavic | *ǫtorъ | croze |
| 6 | Proto-Slavic | torъ | paddock, pen |
| 7 | Proto-Slavic | terti | to rub, to scrape; to polish |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |