English
university
University comes from Middle English universite ‘institution of higher learning, body of…’, from Medieval Latin universitas ‘the whole’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wert- ‘to turn, to rotate, spin’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wert-‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wertō‘to turn’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvertōas vertere‘turn’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEversus‘turned’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEūniversus‘turned into one’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500universitas‘the whole’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400universitei
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400université
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500universite‘institution of higher learning’
- Englishearliest quotation 1661university
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wert-‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wertō‘to turn’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvertōas vertere‘turn’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEversus‘turned’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEūniversus‘turned into one’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500universitas‘the whole’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400universitei
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400université
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500universite‘institution of higher learning’
- Englishearliest quotation 1661university
Earliest quotation: 1661, John Fell, The Life of the most learned: “During the whole time of his abode in the…”
Equivalent to universe + -ity
Latin ūniversus ‘whole, entire’
Old French univers ‘the whole world’
Middle English universe ‘the universe’
English universe
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wert- ‘to turn, to rotate, spin’
word, worth, weird, ridiculous, ridicule, derision, invert, deride, wurst, derisive, extraversion, 56 more
through Proto-Italic *wertō ‘to turn’
transverse, diversion, inversion, aversion, vertebra, perversion, evert, reversion, vertiginous, 38 more
through Latin vertō ‘turn’
version, conversation, divorce, vertical, advertisement, diverse, vortex, adverse, diversity, convertible, versatile, advert, revert, pervert, inverse, divert, vertex, vertigo, avert, perverse, diversification, vertebrate, subvert, introvert, vert, averse, adversity, perversity, 46 more
through Latin versus ‘turned’
Today it means
noun An institution of higher education that provides facilities for teaching, research, and the conferral of academic degrees across undergraduate, graduate, and often professional levels.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wert- / university