The word 'verso' entered English directly from Latin in the mid-19th century, borrowed from the specialized vocabulary of bibliography and printing. It originates from the Latin 'versus', the past participle of 'vertere', meaning 'to turn'. The phrase 'folio verso' ('on the turned leaf') was used to refer to the back side of a manuscript or book leaf. Over time, 'verso' was adopted on its own to denote the left-hand or reverse page, contrasting with 'recto' (the right-hand or front page). This evolution reflects a practical metonymy, where the action of turning the page came to name the specific page itself.

The word 'verso' is a loanword from Latin, taken as a whole unit into English. It is the ablative singular form of the Latin noun 'versus', meaning 'a turning, a line, a row'. In this context, it is short for 'folio verso', meaning 'on the turned leaf'.