Where does “colorectal” come from?
Colorectal is a modern English compound combining color- (from Latin colōn, the large intestine) and rectal (from Latin rēctum, the straight intestine), referring to the colon and rectum together.
colorectal (English): Of or pertaining to the colorectum
Definitions
- Of or pertaining to the colorectum
Ancestry of “colorectal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rectal | Of, via or related to the rectum; A rectal... |
| 2 | English | rectum | The terminal part of the large intestine through... |
| 3 | New Latin | rectum | accusative supine of regō; nominative neuter... |
| 4 | Latin | rectum | accusative supine of regō; nominative neuter... |
| 5 | Latin | rectus | ruled, having been ruled, governed, having been... |
| 6 | Latin | regere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 7 | Latin | rego | I rule, govern; I guide, steer; I oversee, manage |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | regō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃réǵeti | to be straightening, to be setting upright |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |