Etymology Explorer › Middle English

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

  1. customary, established; usual, normal, regular

Ancestry of “usual”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchusuel—
2Latinusualisthat is for use, that is in service: utilitarian;...
3Latinūsus—
4Latinūtor—
5Proto-Slavic*ǫtorъ—
6Proto-Slavictorъ—
7Proto-Slavictertito rub, to scrape; to polish
8Proto-Indo-Europeanterh₁-to rub, turn; to drill, pierce

Words derived from “usual”

  • usual
  • unusual
  • unusually
  • unusualness
  • usualness
  • usuality
  • unusuality
  • ununusual
  • usu
Every word from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- →