Where does “recitation” come from?
Recitation derives from Middle French récitation, from Latin recitatio, a noun formed with the suffix -tio from the verb recitare, combining the prefix re- with citus meaning "set in motion," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- and wer-.
recitation (English): The act of publicly reciting something previously...
Definitions
- The act of publicly reciting something previously...
Ancestry of “recitation”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | récitation | — |
| 2 | Latin | recitatio | recitation |
| 3 | Latin | recitō | to read aloud, recite |
| 4 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 5 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 6 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |