Where does “rebellious” come from?
Rebellious comes from Middle English rebellious, formed from the suffix -ous (from Old French -eux, from Latin -osus) added to a stem derived from Latin bellum meaning war.
rebellious (English): Showing rebellion
Definitions
- Showing rebellion
Ancestry of “rebellious”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | rebellious | Refusing to submit to authorities; rebellious |
| 2 | Middle English | rebellen | To rebel; to start a revolt or uprising against... |
| 3 | Old French | rebeller | to rebel |
| 4 | Latin | rebellō | to renew war, to wage war again |
| 5 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 6 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 7 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |