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Tracing “”…
Where does the word "total" come from? It comes from Latin totus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
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Where does the word "total" come from? It comes from Latin totus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
Total’s story begins in Latin: totus meant “whole, all.” The root of 'totalitarian'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as total. From Medieval Latin 'totalis'. It reached English by 1300s as total. 'total' as a verb, to wreck a car, is 1950s slang. Today, total means comprising the whole number.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient totus "whole, all", the root of 'totalitarian'.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval total "total", from Medieval Latin 'totalis'.
- Stage 3 · English · 1300s total "whole", 'total' as a verb, to wreck a car, is 1950s slang.