gravity

Where does the word "gravity" come from? It comes from Latin gravis, passing through Latin before entering English (1500s).

Gravity’s story begins in Latin: gravis meant “heavy, weighty, serious.” The root of 'grave', 'grief' and 'aggravate'. Within Latin, it grew into gravitas by ancient. Weight, seriousness, from gravis. It reached English by 1500s as gravity. Settled as the English word for the force pulling objects toward earth, or seriousness. Today, gravity means the force that attracts objects toward the center of the earth, or extreme seriousness.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient gravis "heavy, weighty, serious", the root of 'grave', 'grief' and 'aggravate'.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient gravitas "weight, seriousness", weight, seriousness, from gravis.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s gravity "the force pulling objects toward the earth, or seriousness", settled as the English word for the force pulling objects toward earth, or seriousness.