Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “correct” come from?

Correct comes from French correct, derived from Latin correctus, the past participle of corrigere, meaning to make straight or set right, from com- and regere, to rule or direct.

correct (English): Free from error; true; accurate; With good...

Definitions

  1. Free from error; true; accurate; With good...

Ancestry of “correct”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcorrecten—
2Anglo-Normancorrecter—
3Latincorrectuscorrected; straightened; improved
4Latincorrigēre—
5Latincom-allomorph of con-
6Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
7Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
8Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
9Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt—
13Germankitt—
14Old High Germankuti—
15Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
16Proto-Germanickweduzresin
17Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
18Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “correct”

  • correctly
  • correctness
  • overcorrect
  • correcteth
  • correctest
  • correctitude
  • correcter
  • correctability
  • autocorrect
  • uncorrect
  • undercorrect
  • recorrect
  • uncorrectly
  • precorrect
  • correctory
  • noncorrect
  • miscorrect
  • correctrix
  • self-correct
  • correctamundo
  • correctify
  • const correctness
  • корректировать
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →