English
virgil
Virgil comes from French virgule ‘comma’, and goes back to Latin virga ‘twig, branch’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvirga‘twig, branch’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvirgula‘the slash mark ⟨/⟩, particularly in its medieval use as a scratch comma’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentvirgule‘comma’
- Englishearliest quotation 1824virgil
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvirga‘twig, branch’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvirgula‘the slash mark ⟨/⟩, particularly in its medieval use as a scratch comma’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentvirgule‘comma’
- Englishearliest quotation 1824virgil
Earliest quotation: 1824, J. Johnson: “There be five manner of points and divisions most…”
Linked words
through Latin virga ‘twig, branch’
Today it means
noun Synonym of slash ⟨/⟩.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin virga / virgil