Where does “rectitude” come from?
Rectitude comes from Middle English rectitude, from Middle French rectitude, from Late Latin rectitudo, from Latin rectus meaning "straight," derived from Latin rego meaning "to rule" or "to direct," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- meaning "to straighten" or "to direct."
rectitude (English): Straightness; the state or quality of having a...
Definitions
- Straightness; the state or quality of having a...
Ancestry of “rectitude”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | rectitude | — |
| 2 | Middle French | rectitude | — |
| 3 | Latin | rectitūdō | straightness, directness |
| 4 | French | rectitude | rectitude |
| 5 | Late Latin | rectitudo | straightness, uprightness; straightness,... |
| 6 | Latin | rēctus | led straight along, drawn in a straight line, straight, upright |
| 7 | Latin | regō | to rule, govern, direct |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | regō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃réǵeti | to be straightening, to be setting upright |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |