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Origin and history of vital

vital(adj.)

late 14c., in physiology and philosophy, "of or pertaining to the animating principle; manifesting life," from Old French vital and directly from Latin vitalis "of or belonging to life," from vita "life," related to vivere "to live" (from PIE root *gwei- "to live").

By mid-15c. as "alive, living, containing life." The sense of "necessary or important" is from 1610s, via the notion of "essential to life" (late 15c.). Figuratively, "that which is essential to continued existence" of anything is by 1610s.

Vital capacity is recorded from 1852. Vital statistics, those concerned with or relating to facts of life (birth, marriage, death, etc.), is by 1837; the colloquial meaning "a woman's bust, waist, and hip measurements" is from 1952. Related: Vitally.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to vital

aqua vitae(n.)

also aqua-vitae, early 15c., Latin, literally "water of life," an alchemical term for unrefined alcohol. It was applied to brandy, whiskey, etc. from 1540s. For the elements, see aqua- + vital; also see aqua. Compare whiskey, also French eau-de-vie "spirits, brandy," literally "water of life."

arbor vitae(n.)

also arbor-vitae, type of evergreen shrub, 1660s, name given by French physician and botanist Charles de Lécluse, Latin, literally "tree of life;" see arbor (n.2) + vital. Also used in late 18c. rogue's slang as a cant word for "penis."

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critical
1580s, "censorious, inclined to find fault," from critic + -al (1). Sense of "important or essential for determining" is from c. 1600, originally in medicine. Meaning "of the nature of a crisis, in a condition of extreme doubt or danger" is from 1660s; that of "involving judgment
junior
from Latin iunior "younger, more young," comparative of iuvenis "young; a young man," etymologically "one who possesses vital...force" (from PIE root *yeu- "vital force, youthful vigor;" see young (adj.))....
aught
something," literally "e'er a whit," from a- "ever" (from Proto-Germanic *aiwi- "ever," extended form of PIE root *aiw- "vital...
eternity
, from aeternus "enduring, permanent," contraction of aeviternus "of great age," from aevum "age" (from PIE root *aiw- "vital...
decadence
Meaning "process of falling away from a better or more vital state" is from 1620s....
formation
late 14c., "vital force in plants and animals;" early 15c., "act of creating or making," from Old French formacion "formation...
hormone
Used by Hippocrates to denote a vital principle; modern scientific meaning coined by English physiologist Ernest Henry Starling...
capacity
early 15c., capacite, "ability to contain; size, extent;" also "ability" in a legal, moral, or intellectual sense, from Old French capacité "ability to hold" (15c.), from Latin capacitatem (nominative capacitas) "breadth, capacity, capability of holding much," noun of state from
dismal
c. 1400, "unlucky, inauspicious," in dismal day, earlier as a noun, in the dismal (c. 1300) "in days of misfortune or disaster, under inauspicious circumstances, at an unlucky time," from Anglo-French dismal (mid-13c.), apparently from Old French (li) dis mals "(the) bad days," f
insinuate
1520s, "to covertly and subtly introduce into the mind or heart" (trans.), from Latin insinuatus, past participle of insinuare "to thrust in, push in, make a way; creep in, intrude, bring in by windings and curvings, wind one's way into," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") +

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