Where does “counteraction” come from?

Counteraction comes from Middle English counter- combined with Old French acciun, from Latin actio meaning "a doing or driving," derived from actus and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root h₂eǵ- meaning "to drive or move."

counteraction (English): An act of retaliation; a counterattack; Any...

Definitions

  1. An act of retaliation; a counterattack; Any...

Ancestry of “counteraction”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishactionSomething done, often so as to accomplish a...
2Middle EnglishacciounAn action; an act, behaviour or attribute
3Old Frenchaucionaction; act; deed
4Latināctiōaction; a doing or performing, behavior
5Latin-tiōtion, -ation, -ing
6Latindissertātiō(spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition
7Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
8Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
9Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
10Latincalceusshoe
11Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
12Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ