Where does “receptionist” come from?
Receptionist derives from English reception, from Latin receptiō (a receiving), formed from Latin re- (back) and Latin recipere (to take).
receptionist (English): An employee who works in reception for a person...
Definitions
- An employee who works in reception for a person...
Ancestry of “receptionist”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | reception | The act of receiving; The act or ability to... |
| 2 | Middle French | reception | — |
| 3 | Latin | receptiō | The act of receiving, reception |
| 4 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 5 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 6 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 7 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 8 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 9 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 10 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |