Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “vertu” come from?

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

vertu (Old French): valour; honour; goodness; virtue

Definitions

  1. valour; honour; goodness; virtue

Ancestry of “vertu”, step by step

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

Words derived from “vertu”

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