Etymograph

English

versicle

Versicle comes from Latin versiculus ‘short verse, single line’, from vertō ‘to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wert-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wert-‘to turn, to rotate, spin’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wértetor‘to turn, be turning’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wertō‘to turn’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvertō‘to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEversus‘verse’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEversiculus‘short verse, single line’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400versicule
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500versicle‘a short Biblical verse used as part of the liturgy’
  9. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wert-‘to turn, to rotate, spin’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wértetor‘to turn, be turning’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wertō‘to turn’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvertō‘to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEversus‘verse’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEversiculus‘short verse, single line’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400versicule
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500versicle‘a short Biblical verse used as part of the liturgy’
  9. Englishtodaysame form

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *wert- ‘to turn, to rotate, spin’

word, worth, weird, ridiculous, ridicule, derision, invert, deride, wurst, derisive, 55 more

through Proto-Italic *wertō ‘to turn’

transverse, vertebra, evert, vertiginous, extraversion, 37 more

through Latin vertō ‘to turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to…’

divorce, conversation, diverse, diversity, vertical, advertisement, vortex, adverse, convertible, advert, divert, versatile, revert, pervert, diversion, inverse, vertex, vertigo, adversity, avert, vertebrate, diversification, perverse, inversion, introvert, subvert, aversion, vert, averse, perversion, reversion, perversity, 41 more

through Latin versus ‘verse’

university, universe, universal, versus, verse, verso, 7 more

Today it means

noun One of a series of lines that are shorter than a standard line of verse, particularly in a hymn.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wert- / versicle

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