versus | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

21 entries found.

mid-15c., in legal case names, denoting action of one party against another, from Latin versus "turned toward or against," past participle of vertere "to turn," from PIE *wert- "to turn, wind," from root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend."

ambivert (n.)

"person exhibiting features of an extrovert and an introvert," coined by Kimball Young in "Source Book for Social Psychology" (1927), from ambi- "about, around" + -vert (as in earlier introvert), which is ultimately from Latin vertere "to turn," from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend" (see versus). Related: Ambiversion.

advert (v.)

mid-15c., averten "to turn (something) aside" (the mind, the attention, etc.), from Old French avertir (later advertir) "to turn, direct; turn aside; make aware, inform" (12c.), from Latin advertere "turn toward, turn to," from ad "toward" (see ad-) + vertere "to turn" (see versus). The -d- was restored in English 16c. Especially in speaking or writing, "turn to (a topic) abruptly and plainly" (18c.). Related: Adverted; adverting.

averse (adj.)

mid-15c., "turned away in mind or feeling, disliking, unwilling," from Old French avers "hostile, antagonistic" and directly from Latin aversus "turned away, turned back," past participle of avertere "to turn away," from ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + vertere "to turn" (see versus). Originally and usually in English in the mental sense, while averted is used in a physical sense.

Averse applies to feeling, adverse to action: as, I was very averse to his going: an adverse vote: adverse fortune. [Century Dictionary, 1906]

adversary (n.)

"unfriendly opponent, enemy" (originally especially of Satan as the enemy of mankind), mid-14c., aduersere, from Anglo-French adverser (13c.), Old French adversarie (12c., Modern French adversaire) "hostile opponent, enemy," or directly from Latin adversarius "an opponent, rival, enemy," noun use of adjective meaning "opposite, hostile, contrary," literally "turned toward one," from adversus "turned against, turned toward, fronting, facing," figuratively "hostile, adverse, unfavorable," past participle of advertere "to turn toward," from ad "to" (see ad-) + vertere "to turn, turn back, be turned; convert, transform, translate; be changed" (see versus). The Latin word is glossed in Old English by wiðerbroca.

advertise (v.)

early 15c., advertisen, "to take notice of" (a sense now obsolete), from Old French advertiss-, present-participle stem of advertir (earlier avertir) "make aware, call attention, remark; turn, turn to" (12c.), from Latin advertere "to direct one's attention to; give heed," literally "to turn toward," from ad "to, toward" (see ad-) + vertere "to turn" (see versus).

The transitive sense of "give notice to others, inform, warn; make clear or manifest" (mid-15c.) is by influence of advertisement; the specific commercial meaning "call attention to goods for sale, rewards, etc." emerged by late 18c. Compare advert (v.) "turn (someone's) attention to." Related: Advertised; advertising.

rhomb (n.)

geometric figure, "oblique-angled equilateral parallelogram," 1570s, from French rhombe, from Latin rhombus "a magician's circle," also a kind of fish, which in Late Latin took on also the geometric sense. This is from Greek rhombos "circular movement, spinning motion; spinning-top; magic wheel used by sorcerers; tambourine;" also "a geometrical rhomb," also the name of a flatfish.

Watkins has this from rhembesthai "to spin, whirl," from PIE *wrembh-, from *werbh- "to turn, twist, bend" (source also of Old English weorpan "to throw away"), from root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend" (see versus). But Beekes connects rhombos to rhembomai "to go about, wander, roam about, act random," despite this being attested "much later," a word of no clear etymology.

In general use in reference to any lozenge-shaped object. Related: Rhombic.

Versailles

place outside Paris, of uncertain origin; perhaps from Latin versus "slope." Louis XIII built a hunting lodge there; made into a palace 17c. by Louis XIV.

abbreviation in law of Latin versus "turned toward or against," past participle of vertere "to turn" (from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend"). Also sometimes vs.; ver.

verso (n.)

"reverse, back, or other side of some object," especially a printed page or book, 1839, from Latin verso (folio), ablative singular neuter of versus, past participle of vertere "to turn" (from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend").

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