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universe

all of space and everything that exists within it

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Where does the word "universe" come from? It comes from Latin universus, and was adopted directly into English (1580s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "universe" come from? It comes from Latin universus, and was adopted directly into English (1580s).

Universe’s story begins in Latin: universus meant “turned into one, combined into a whole.” Turned into one, combined into a whole, from unus (one) and vertere (to turn). It reached English by 1580s as universe. Settled as the English word for all of space and everything in it. Today, universe means all of space and everything that exists within it.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient universus "turned into one, combined into a whole", turned into one, combined into a whole, from unus (one) and vertere (to turn).
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1580s universe "all of space and everything that exists within it", settled as the English word for all of space and everything in it.

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