Where does “negative lookbehind” come from?

negative lookbehind (English) comes from English lookbehind, from English Look, from French -er, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō — he, she.

negative lookbehind (English): The analysis of the preceding characters absence before the regular expression is matched (symbol:?<!)

Definitions

  1. The analysis of the preceding characters absence before the regular expression is matched (symbol:?<!)

Ancestry of “negative lookbehind”, step by step

negative lookbehind traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English lookbehind

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlookbehindThe analysis of the preceding characters before...
2EnglishLookTo try to see, to pay attention to with one’s eyes
3French-erForms infinitives of first-conjugation verbs
4English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
5Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
6Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
7Latin-ārefirst conjugation
8Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
9Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
10Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
11Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
12Chichewaiyehe, she

via English negative

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnegativeNot positive nor neutral; Of electrical charge of...
2Middle Englishnegative
3Old Frenchnegatif
4Latinnegativusdenied, negative, that which denies; inhibiting
5Latinnegōto deny
6Latinnecnor; and not, not; neither
7Latinnequenot; and not, also not
8Proto-Indo-Europeannekʷeand not, neither, nor
9Proto-Indo-Europeannenot
Every word from Chichewa iye