vandal

C2 Topic:People & Society

US /ˈvændəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #27708

Meanings

1

noun
A person who deliberately destroys or damages property, especially other people's.

Vandals spray-painted obscenities on the side of the building.
2

noun
A member of an ancient Germanic tribe famous for sacking Rome.

The Vandals captured and looted Rome in 455 AD.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person who deliberately... destroyer ruinervandalizerwrecker

Word family

Forms vandals

Simplified etymology

Vandal comes from Latin Vandalus, the name of a Germanic people who invaded parts of the Roman world and sacked Rome in 455. Their later reputation as destroyers gave vandal the general sense “a person who damages things worthy of preservation” in the 17th century; vandalism followed in the 18th century.

Etymology

From Latin Vandalus, named after the Germanic tribe, from Proto-Germanic *wandilaz, from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ-eh₂-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- (“to turn, wind, braid”). Also related to Old English Wendlas.

Vandalus Latin *wandilaz Proto-Germanic *wendʰ-eh₂- Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# vandal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈvændəl/
**Frequency rank:** 27708

## Meanings
1. A person who deliberately destroys or damages property, especially other people's.
2. A member of an ancient Germanic tribe famous for sacking Rome.

## Examples
- Vandals spray-painted obscenities on the side of the building.
- The Vandals captured and looted Rome in 455 AD.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: Vandalus
- Root: *wandilaz
- Root: *wendʰ-eh₂-
- Root: *wendʰ-

## Etymology
From Latin Vandalus, named after the Germanic tribe, from Proto-Germanic *wandilaz, from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ-eh₂-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- (“to turn, wind, braid”). Also related to Old English Wendlas.

## AI Etymology
Vandal is from Latin Vandalus, named after the Germanic tribe, from Proto-Germanic *wandilaz, from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ-eh₂-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- (“to turn, wind, braid”). Also related to Old English Wendlas. Important recorded forms include Vandalus (Latin), *wandilaz (Proto-Germanic), *wendʰ-eh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), and *wendʰ- (Proto-Indo-European). Current senses include a person who deliberately destroys or damages property, especially other people's and a member of an ancient Germanic tribe famous for sacking Rome.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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