Etymology Map
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Version

3 stages from Medieval Latin to English.

Today it means a particular form of something

Where does the word "version" come from? It comes from Medieval Latin versio, passing through French before entering English (1580s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
versio
Medieval Latin · medieval
"a turning"
from 'vertere', to turn
2
Stage 2 of 3
version
French · 1500s
"translation"
a translation of scripture
3
Stage 3 of 3
version
English · 1580s
"translation"
software 'versions' date from the 1900s
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Read the full story

Version’s story begins in Medieval Latin: versio meant “a turning.” From 'vertere', to turn. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as version. A translation of scripture. It reached English by 1580s as version. Software 'versions' date from the 1900s. Today, version means a particular form of something.