Where does “free rein” come from?
free rein (English) comes from English rein, from Middle English rein, from Old French resne, from Late Latin retina, from Latin retinēre, from Latin rĕ-, from Latin prōdūcō, from Latin prō- — passed , crossed.
free rein (English): A rein of a horse held loosely so that the animal can move more freely; also, the free condition that this gives to a horse
Definitions
- A rein of a horse held loosely so that the animal can move more freely; also, the free condition that this gives to a horse
Ancestry of “free rein”, step by step
free rein traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English rein
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rein | A strap or rope attached to a bridle or bit, used... |
| 2 | Middle English | rein | strip of land forming a boundary; furrow;... |
| 3 | Old French | resne | rein |
| 4 | Late Latin | retina | — |
| 5 | Latin | retinēre | — |
| 6 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 7 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 8 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English Free
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Free | Unconstrained |
| 2 | English | faller | One who falls; A fruit that falls from the tree,... |
| 3 | English | -er | A person or thing that does an action indicated... |
| 4 | Middle English | -er | agentive suffix; agent noun suffix |
| 5 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 6 | Latin | -āre | first conjugation |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 11 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |