entry
vulnerable
/ˈvʌln(ə)rəbəl/Open to being wounded, harmed, attacked, or influenced
From Latin vuln (wound).
from PIE *wele-nes-
from Latin vulnerare "to wound, hurt, injure, maim,"
from Late Latin vulnerabilis "wounding,"
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from PIE *wele-nes-
from Latin vulnerare "to wound, hurt, injure, maim,"
from Late Latin vulnerabilis "wounding,"
+1 more sourceA vulnerable person is, in the oldest sense, someone who can be wounded—quite literally. The trail leads through Latin vulnus, “wound,” and its verb vulnerare, “to wound, maim, or injure,” before Late Latin vulnerabilis arrived with the sense “wounding” or “injurious.” English picked up vulnerable around 1600, and by 1790 it was being used for fortresses and other places open to attack. The deepest connection is not entirely settled: one theory links vulnus to a reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to strike or wound,” while another compares it with Latin vellere, “to pluck or tear.” Either way, the word preserves a vivid image—a person, bridge, or emotional confidence with its protective armor removed.
The Story
A vulnerable person is, in the oldest sense, someone who can be wounded—quite literally. The trail leads through Latin vulnus, “wound,” and its verb vulnerare, “to wound, maim, or injure,” before Late Latin vulnerabilis arrived with the sense “wounding” or “injurious.” English picked up vulnerable around 1600, and by 1790 it was being used for fortresses and other places open to attack. The deepest connection is not entirely settled: one theory links vulnus to a reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to strike or wound,” while another compares it with Latin vellere, “to pluck or tear.” Either way, the word preserves a vivid image—a person, bridge, or emotional confidence with its protective armor removed.
Kin & Kindred
From 'vuln'·wound; injure
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wiktionary