Where does “get right” come from?
get right (English) comes from English right, from Middle English right, from Old English riht, from Proto-West Germanic reht, from Proto-Germanic rehtaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵtós, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- — to straighten, to right oneself; right; just.
get right (English): To do (something) in the appropriate manner; to make (something) correct by coming up with the correct answer or solution
Definitions
- To do (something) in the appropriate manner; to make (something) correct by coming up with the correct answer or solution
Ancestry of “get right”, step by step
get right traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English right
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | right | Straight, not bent; Of an angle, having a size of... |
| 2 | Middle English | right | A good deed, right action; A just or equitable... |
| 3 | Old English | riht | straight; right, true, correct; rightful,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | reht | straight; right, correct; morally upright, just |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rehtaz | right, straight; morally upright, just |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵtós | straightened, right, upright |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |
via English get
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | get | To obtain; to acquire; To receive; To have. See... |
| 2 | English | git | A silly, incompetent, stupid, annoying, or... |
| 3 | Middle English | get | jet, hardened coal; A bead made of jet; A... |
| 4 | Old French | jayet | — |
| 5 | Latin | gagātēs | A hard, black asphalt; variety of lignite; jet, jess |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | γαγάτης | — |