Where does “vicious” come from?
vicious (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman vicious, from Latin vitiōsus, from Latin vitium, from Proto-Indo-European wi-tio-, from Proto-Indo-European wei — guilt, vice, fault.
vicious (Middle English): Iniquitous, sinful, wicked; Lacking purity or...
Definitions
- Iniquitous, sinful, wicked; Lacking purity or...
Ancestry of “vicious”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | vicious | vicious; malicious; defective; not capable of... |
| 2 | Latin | vitiōsus | — |
| 3 | Latin | vitium | flaw, defect, blemish, error, fault; vice; crime |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wi-tio- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wei | guilt, vice, fault |
Words derived from “vicious”