Where does “rational” come from?
Rational comes from Old French rationel, from Latin rationalis, derived from Latin ratio (reckoning, reason) and the Latin adjective suffix -alis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂reh₁- (to count, reckon).
rational (English): Capable of reasoning; Logically sound; not...
Definitions
- Capable of reasoning; Logically sound; not...
Ancestry of “rational”, step by step
rational traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French rationalité
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | rationalité | rationality |
| 2 | French | rationnel | rational |
| 3 | Latin | rationalis | accounts; rational, reasonable, of or possessing... |
| 4 | Latin | ratiō | reason, reasoning, explanation, ground, motive, rationality, rationale, purpose |
| 5 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 6 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 7 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 8 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 9 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 10 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 11 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 12 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
via Old French rational
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | rational | — |