Where does “vertical” come from?
vertical (Middle French) comes from Latin verticālis, from Latin vertex, from Latin vertō, from Proto-Italic wertō, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Ancestry of “vertical”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | verticālis | highest in the hierarchy |
| 2 | Latin | vertex | whirlpool, eddy, vortex; crown; top, peak, summit |
| 3 | Latin | vertō | to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | wertō | to turn |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |