versus

versus¹ line, verse

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwɛr.sʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛr.sus]^[1]

Forms

versus m (genitive versūs); fourth declension^[1] Plautus has vorsus, a spelling used later as a rare archaism.^[2]

Etymology

The noun is from vertō “to turn” with the suffix -tus, which forms action nouns: it was first a turning, then the furrow where the plough turns.^[2][1] The verb goes back to Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn”).^[1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, probably of a twirl in a dance.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

From a turn, the word came to mean the strip of ground a plough covers before it turns, a furrow, as in Columella, and then any row or line of things, as in Varro.^[2] Cicero used it of a line of writing, and Ennius already of a line of verse, the sense that became the usual one.^[2] Isidore explained that lines were called versūs because the ancients wrote as land is ploughed, turning back at the end of each line.^[4]

In Medieval Latin it was a verse of the Bible said at the beginning or end of the Office, and a line of a charter.^[5] Old English borrowed it early as fers, and late Old English vers, reinforced by Old French vers, gave English verse.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a turn in a dance.^[2][3]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of a line of verse.^[2][3]
• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of a row.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a line of writing.^[2][3]
• c. 560–636 AD – Isidore links it with ploughing.^[4][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A turn or twirl in a dance.^[2]
2. A furrow.^[2][7]
3. A row, line.^[2]
4. A line of writing.^[2]
5. A line of verse, (plural) verses, poetry.^[2][8]
6. (Medieval Latin) A versicle of the Office; a line of a charter.^[5]

Word family

• versiculus
• versificō

versus² towards

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwɛr.sʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛr.sus]^[1]

Forms

versus (not comparable)^[1] Also versum, vorsus, vorsum; the vors- forms are those of Plautus, Terence, Cato and early inscriptions.^[2]

Etymology

The adverb is the participle versus (“turned”) of vertō “to turn”, used adverbially, “turned towards”.^[2][1] Its older form ⟨vorsus⟩ goes back to Proto-Italic *worssos, from Proto-Indo-European *wr̥ttós.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD cites Plautus, Terence and Cato for the old forms in vors-.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant in the direction of, towards, often after another adverb (sursum versus “upwards”) or after a noun in the accusative, as in Cicero's Helōrum versus “towards Helorum”.^[2][7]

In Medieval Latin it became a preposition, “against”.^[5] English took it from that use as a legal term, English versus, in the mid-15th century, of one party against another.^[6] It survives in French vers and Italian verso “towards”.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses the form vorsus.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it after town names.^[2][3]
• mid-15th century – English versus is recorded in law.^[6]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Towards, in the direction of (after an adverb or a noun).^[2]
2. (Medieval Latin) Against.^[5]

Related words

• vertō
• English verse
• English versus
• English verso

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
5. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press