Vir
/vɜːr/noun
A man, especially a husband, chiefly in anthropological, historical, or literary usage.
Did you know?Latin vir was associated with masculine strength and courage, giving rise to the Roman ideal of virtus—originally “manliness” or “courage,” long before it meant moral virtue.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wiHros
“Man; male human being”
Ancient Latin
Latin
vir
“Man, husband, or adult male”
Classical Latin
Latin
virtus
“Manliness, courage, excellence; later moral virtue”
Old English
Old English
wer
“Man or male human; preserved in compounds such as werwulf”
Old English
Old English
werold
“Human age or age of man, literally “man-age”; ancestor of world”
Modern English
English
vir
“A learned borrowing meaning a man, especially in specialized or historical contexts”