Where does “deter” come from?
Deter comes from Latin deterreo, formed from the prefix de- and the root ter-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ter- meaning to frighten or cross over.
deter (English): To prevent something from happening; To persuade...
Definitions
- To prevent something from happening; To persuade...
Ancestry of “deter”, step by step
deter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin dēterreō
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | dēterreō | to frighten off, deter, discourage, prevent, hinder |
| 2 | Latin | terreō | to frighten, terrify, alarm |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | tres- | to tremble |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ter- | tender, weak; young creature |
| 5 | Italian | termine | end, close; limit, term, date, time; term, word |
| 6 | Latin | terminus | a boundary, limit, end |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | termenos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | térmn̥ | boundary, end |
via German Deter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Deter | — |