Where does “irretrievable” come from?
Irretrievable derives from English retrieve, combined with the prefix in- (not), ultimately from Latin retrōvāre, French trouver, and Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to turn and in.
irretrievable (English): Not retrievable; irrecoverable; irreparable
Definitions
- Not retrievable; irrecoverable; irreparable
Ancestry of “irretrievable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | retrievable | Capable of being retrieved or recovered |
| 2 | English | retrieve | To regain or get back something; To rescue; To... |
| 3 | Middle French | retruev- | — |
| 4 | Old French | retrover | — |
| 5 | Old French | re- | re- again; once more |
| 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 |