"V" Word Origins

vindication

Latin

From Latin vindicātiō, from vindicō, "to avenge or defend," ultimately tied to vīs, "force."

vindicatorily

Origin

From vindicatory + -ly.

vindicatory

Origin

From vindicate + -ory.

vindictive

Latin

From Latin vindicta, "vengeance," plus the adjective ending -ive.

vindictiveness

Origin

From vindictive + -ness.

vine

Latin

From Old French vigne, from Latin vīnea, related to vīnum, "wine."

vinegar

Old French

From Old French vyn egre, "sour wine" — from vin ("wine") and aigre ("sour," related to English "acrid" and "eager").

vinegaroon

Origin

Borrowed from Spanish vinagrón, from vinagre (“vinegar”) + -ón (augmentative suffix). Influenced by vinegar.

vineyard

Old English

From vine + yard, replacing the older Old English wīnġeard ("wine yard").

vinny

Old English

From Old English fyniġ ("moldy"), related to the verb "vinew."

vino

Italian

Borrowed directly from Italian or Spanish vino, "wine."

Vinod

Origin

Transliteration of Hindi विनोद (vinod), Gujarati વિનોદ (vinod), etc.

vinous

Origin

From Late Middle English vinous, vinose (“consisting of, containing, or made of wine”), from Latin vīnōsus (“fond of wine; wine-flavoured”), from vīnum (“wine”) + -ōsus (adjective-forming suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’).

vintage

Latin

From Old French vendage, "grape harvest," from Latin vindēmia, from vīnum ("wine") + dēmere ("to take away").

vintry

Origin

From Middle English viniterie, from Old French vinotier, vinetier (“wine merchant”).

vinyl

Latin

From Latin vīnum ("wine") + the chemical suffix -yl, because the vinyl group is chemically related to ordinary (ethyl) alcohol found in wine.

viola

Latin

From Latin viola, "violet."

violable

Origin

From Latin violābilis. Compare Middle English violable (“destructive”), a hapax legomenon.

violate

Latin

From Latin violāre, "to treat with violence," ultimately from vīs, "force."

violation

Latin

From Latin violātiō, from violāre, "to violate."

viole

Origin

From Middle English vyole, from either Middle French violer or Latin violāre. Compare violate.

violence

Latin

From Old French violence, from Latin violentia, from violēns, "violent."

violent

Latin

From Latin violentus, from vīs, "strength, force."

violently

Origin

From violent + the adverb suffix -ly.

violet

Latin

From Old French violette, from Latin viola, "violet (flower)."

Violette

French

Borrowed from French Violette.

violin

Italian

From Italian violino, "little viola."

violinist

Origin

From violin plus the suffix -ist, which marks someone who plays an instrument or practices a skill.

VIP

English

An initialism of very important person.

viper

Latin

From Latin vipera, itself a contraction of vivipara ("bringing forth live young"), since vipers give birth to live offspring rather than laying eggs.

vipper

Origin

From Japanese VIPPER (VIPPER), from /vip/ internet forum board.

virago

Origin

Borrowed from Latin virāgō (“warlike or heroic woman”, literally “manlike”).

viral

Origin

From virus plus the adjective-forming suffix -al.

Virgil

Middle English

From Middle English Vyrgyle, from Latin Virgilius, from the Roman clan name Vergilius, from Etruscan and of unknown meaning.

virgin

Middle English

From Middle English virgine, from Old French virgine, from Latin virginem, accusative of virgō. Doublet of Virgo. Displaced native Old English fǣmne.

virginal

Latin

From Latin virginalis, "of a virgin." The keyboard instrument likely got its name because it was traditionally played by young unmarried women.

Virginia

Origin

Named after Elizabeth I of England, the "Virgin Queen," when the original colony was founded.

virginity

Latin

From Latin virginitas, from virgo ("virgin"), via Old French virginite.

Virgo

Latin

From Latin virgo, "maiden" or "virgin," the same root as the word virgin.

virgula

Origin

From Latin virgula (“twig; wand; scratch comma”), from virga (“branch; rod”) + -ulus (“-ule: forming diminutives”). As a dowsing rod, via virgula divina or divinatoria. Doublet of virgule.

virgule

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French virgule, from Latin virgula (“twig; scratch comma”), from virga (“rod, branch”) + -ulus (diminutive suffix). Doublet of virgula.

viridian

Origin

From Latin viridis, from the verb vireō (“be verdant, sprout”).

viridity

Origin

From virid + -ity, from Latin viriditas.

virile

Latin

From Latin virilis, from vir, meaning "man."

virility

Latin

From virile plus the noun-forming suffix -ity, ultimately from Latin virilitas.

virtual

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin virtualis, "having power or effect," from Latin virtus ("power, virtue").

virtual machine

English

A compound of virtual, in the sense of existing in effect though not in physical form, and machine.

virtually

Origin

From virtual plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.