From Old French 'verai' (true), from Latin 'verus' (true) — weakened from 'truly' to an intensifier.
In a high degree; extremely; to a great extent.
From Anglo-French 'verai' (true, truthful), from Old French 'verai' (true, genuine), from Vulgar Latin '*vērācus,' from Latin 'vērāx' (truthful), from 'vērus' (true), from PIE *weh₁ros (true, trustworthy). The original English meaning was 'truly, in truth' — an intensifier because truth is emphatic. 'Very' still retains its older meaning of 'true, actual' in phrases like 'the very idea
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