Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “irreproachable” come from?

Irreproachable comes from French irréprochable, composed of the French negative prefix in- from Latin in-, itself from Latin in meaning "not," ultimately traced to Proto-Indo-European ne, a negative particle.

irreproachable (English): Free from blame, not open to reproach or...

Definitions

  1. Free from blame, not open to reproach or...

Ancestry of “irreproachable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchirréprochableirreproachable
2Frenchreprochable—
3Frenchreprocherto blame somebody for something
4Old Frenchreprochierto chastise; to admonish; to reproach
5Latinrepropiāre—
6Latinpropenear, nearby, nigh; close in time; almost, nearly
7Proto-Indo-Europeanprokʷe—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “irreproachable”

  • irreproachably
  • irreproachableness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →