Where does “irreverent” come from?
Irreverent comes from Latin irreverent-, the negated form of reverent, which derives from Latin reverēns, meaning "showing respect," built from Latin re- (again) and verēri (to fear or respect), ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European wer-.
irreverent (English): Lacking respect; not having or not showing...
Definitions
- Lacking respect; not having or not showing...
Ancestry of “irreverent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | irreverens | disrespectful, irreverent |
| 2 | Latin | reverens | respecting; respectful, reverent; reverent |
| 3 | Latin | revereor | to stand in awe (of), regard, respect, honor, reverence, revere |
| 4 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 5 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 6 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |