Virile comes from Latin 'virilis' ('of a man, manly'), from 'vir' ('man, hero'), from Proto-Indo-European '*wiHrós' ('man'). In current use it is an adjective meaning "having strength, energy, or qualities regarded as masculine". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is mainly one of transmission into English, with the older form and sense carried through borrowing or adaptation. The historical chain includes Latin virilis, Latin vir, and Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós. Related English forms include virago, triumvir, and decemvir. A derived form is virility. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense.