English
adversity
Adversity comes from Latin adversus ‘set opposite, adverse, having been set against’, from advertō ‘to turn toward’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wert-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wert-‘to turn, to rotate, spin’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wértetor‘to turn, be turning’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wertō‘to turn’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvertō‘to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEadvertō‘to turn toward’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEadversus‘set opposite, adverse, having been set against’perfect passive participle of advertō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEadversitātem
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400adversité
- Englishearliest quotation 1858adversity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wert-‘to turn, to rotate, spin’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wértetor‘to turn, be turning’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wertō‘to turn’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvertō‘to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEadvertō‘to turn toward’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEadversus‘set opposite, adverse, having been set against’perfect passive participle of advertō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEadversitātem
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400adversité
- Englishearliest quotation 1858adversity
Earliest quotation: 1858, Anthony Trollope, Doctor Thorne: “The doctor loved the squire, loved him as his…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wert- ‘to turn, to rotate, spin’
word, worth, weird, ridiculous, universe, ridicule, derision, invert, deride, wurst, derisive, extraversion, 57 more
through Proto-Italic *wertō ‘to turn’
diversion, inverse, transverse, perverse, inversion, aversion, averse, vertebra, perversion, evert, reversion, vertiginous, 40 more
through Latin vertō ‘to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to…’
university, version, divorce, conversation, vertical, versus, diverse, verse, vortex, diversity, convertible, versatile, divert, revert, pervert, vertex, vertigo, diversification, avert, vertebrate, introvert, subvert, vert, verso, perversity, 51 more
through Latin advertō ‘to turn toward’
Today it means
noun The state of adverse conditions; state of misfortune or calamity.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wert- / adversity