verve

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*werh₁-“to say, speak”
2. Latin · derived fromverba“words; discourse; expressions; language”
3. Late Latin · derived fromverva
4. French · borrowed fromverve“animation; caprice, whim; rapture; spirit; vigour; type of expression”
5. English todayverve

Borrowed from French verve (“animation; caprice, whim; rapture; spirit; vigour; type of expression”), probably from Late Latin verva, a variant of Latin verba (“words; discourse; expressions; language”), the plural of verbum (“word”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *werh₁- (“to say, speak”). Doublet of verb and word.

Words from the same roots