Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “reciprocal” come from?

Reciprocal comes from Latin reciprocus, formed from reque proque meaning "back and forth," combining Latin re- with Proto-Indo-European pro- and bʰuH-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- and pr̥tós.

reciprocal (English): Of a feeling, action or such: mutual, uniformly...

Definitions

  1. Of a feeling, action or such: mutual, uniformly...

Ancestry of “reciprocal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinreciprocusback and forth; alternating; reciprocal
2Latinrĕ-—
3Latinprōdūcō—
4Latinprō-—
5Proto-Italic*pro-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
8Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “reciprocal”

  • reciprocally
  • nonreciprocal
  • reciprocality
  • irreciprocal
  • nonreciprocally
  • reciprocalness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →