English
virtual
Virtual comes from Medieval Latin virtuālis ‘of or pertaining to potency or power’, from Latin virtūs ‘goodness, virtue’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁- ‘to hunt’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyh₁-‘to hunt’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wiHrós‘man’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wiros‘a man’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvir‘adult male, man’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvirtūs‘goodness, virtue’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500virtuālis‘of or pertaining to potency or power’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400vertüal
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500vertual‘having an inherent attribute useful as an effect’
- Englishearliest quotation 1598virtual
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyh₁-‘to hunt’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wiHrós‘man’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wiros‘a man’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvir‘adult male, man’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvirtūs‘goodness, virtue’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500virtuālis‘of or pertaining to potency or power’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400vertüal
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500vertual‘having an inherent attribute useful as an effect’
- Englishearliest quotation 1598virtual
Earliest quotation: 1598, George Chapman, Third Sestyad: “[H]is ſenſes flame / Flovv'd from his parts, vvith…”
The story
The adjective is derived from Middle English vertual, virtual [and other forms], from Old French vertüal, vertüelle (modern French virtuel), or from their etymon Medieval Latin virtuālis (‘of or pertaining to potency or power; having power to produce an effect, potent; morally virtuous’), from Latin virtūs (‘goodness, virtue; manliness, virility’) (from vir (‘adult male, man’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós (‘man’), possibly from *weyh₁- (‘to chase, hunt, pursue’)) + -tūs (suffix forming collective or abstract nouns)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship), modelled after virtuōsus (‘good, virtuous’). Sense 4 (‘pertaining to a theoretical infinitesimal velocity in a mechanical system that does not violate the system’s constraints’) is borrowed from French virtuel, from Middle French virtuel, from Old French vertüal, vertüelle: see above.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁- ‘to hunt’
previous, obvious, violent, violation, inevitable, voyage, convey, vengeance, violate, envoy, trivial, trivia, avenge, deviation, vis, venison, deviant, vindication, ochre, viaduct, vim, violator, inviolable, trivium, obviate, 57 more
through Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós ‘man’
through Latin vir ‘adult male, man’
Today it means
adj In effect or essence, rather than in fact or reality; also, imitated, simulated.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁- / virtual