Etymology Explorer › Middle French

Where does “vertu” come from?

vertu (Middle French) comes from Old French vertu, from Latin virtūs, from English virtue, from Middle English vertu, from Anglo-Norman vertu, from Latin virtutem, from Latin virtus, from Latin vir — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.

vertu (Middle French): virtue

Definitions

  1. virtue

Ancestry of “vertu”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchvertuvalour; honour; goodness; virtue
2Latinvirtūs—
3EnglishvirtueAccordance with moral principles; conformity of...
4Middle EnglishvertuAn ability, specialty, or feature; Power,...
5Anglo-Normanvertuvalour; honour; goodness; virtue
6Latinvirtutemaccusative singular of virtūs; virtue
7Latinvirtusmanhood, manliness, virility; courage,...
8Latinvirman in the sense of "adult male human"; adult,...
9Proto-Italicwirosa man
10Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
11Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute

Words derived from “vertu”

  • vertu
  • évertuer
  • vertueux
  • vertueuse
  • vertueusement
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- →