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Where does the word "vast" come from? It comes from Latin vastus, and was adopted directly into English (1570s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "vast" come from? It comes from Latin vastus, and was adopted directly into English (1570s).
Vast’s story begins in Latin: vastus meant “empty, huge.” Empty, huge, desolate. It reached English by 1570s as vast. Settled as the English word for something of very great extent. Today, vast means of very great size, extent, or amount.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient vastus "empty, huge", empty, huge, desolate.
- Stage 2 · English · 1570s vast "of very great extent or size", settled as the English word for something of very great extent.