"organs of the body essential to life," c. 1600, from noun use of adjective vital, perhaps on model of Latin vitalia "vital force," neuter plural of vitalis.
Entries linking to vitals
vital adj.
late 14c., "of or manifesting life," from Latin vitalis "of or belonging to life," from vita "life," related to vivere "to live," from PIE root *gwei- "to live." The sense of "necessary or important" is from 1610s, via the notion of "essential to life" (late 15c.). Vital capacity recorded from 1852. Related: Vitally.