Etymology Map
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Total

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means comprising the whole number

Where does the word "total" come from? It comes from Latin totus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
totus
Latin · ancient
"whole, all"
the root of 'totalitarian'
2
Stage 2 of 3
total
Old French · medieval
"total"
from Medieval Latin 'totalis'
3
Stage 3 of 3
total
English · 1300s
"whole"
'total' as a verb, to wreck a car, is 1950s slang
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Read the full story

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.