English
conversation
Conversation comes from Old French conversacion, from Latin conversātiō ‘way of life, conduct’, from conversor ‘to keep company with’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wert- ‘to turn’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wert-‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wértetor‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wertō‘to turn’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvertō‘to turn’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEversō‘to keep turning’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEversor‘to dwell, be busy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconversor‘to associate with’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconversātiō‘way of life, conduct’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400conversacion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500conversacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1526conversation
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wert-‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wértetor‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wertō‘to turn’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvertō‘to turn’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEversō‘to keep turning’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEversor‘to dwell, be busy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconversor‘to associate with’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconversātiō‘way of life, conduct’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400conversacion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500conversacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1526conversation
Earliest quotation: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “Yt chaunſed thatt a whole yere they had their…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wert- ‘to turn, to rotate, spin’
word, worth, weird, ridiculous, universe, ridicule, derision, invert, deride, derisive, wurst, extraversion, 55 more
through Proto-Italic *wertō ‘to turn’
adverse, transverse, diversion, inverse, perverse, averse, vertebrate, aversion, vertebra, inversion, perversion, evert, reversion, vertiginous, 38 more
through Latin vertō ‘to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to…’
university, divorce, version, diversity, versus, diverse, vertical, verse, advertisement, vortex, advert, divert, revert, pervert, adversity, vertex, convertible, avert, vertigo, subvert, introvert, vert, diversification, verso, perversity, 51 more
through Latin versō
Today it means
noun Expression and exchange of individual ideas through talking with other people; also, a set instance or occasion of such talking.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wert- / conversation