Where does “recluse” come from?
Recluse comes from Old French reclus, past participle of Old French reclure, from Latin recludere meaning to shut up or confine, from Latin re- and Latin claudus.
recluse (English): sequestered; secluded, isolated; hidden, secret;...
Definitions
- sequestered; secluded, isolated; hidden, secret;...
Ancestry of “recluse”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | reclus | — |
| 2 | Old French | reclure | — |
| 3 | Latin | reclūdere | — |
| 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 |