Where does “red-pencil” come from?
red-pencil (English) comes from English Red, from English rede, from Middle English reden, from Old English rǣdan, from Proto-West Germanic rādan, from Proto-Germanic rēdaną, from Proto-Indo-European Hreh₁dʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂reh₁- — to fit, to fix, to put together.
red-pencil (English): To correct
Definitions
- To correct
Ancestry of “red-pencil”, step by step
red-pencil traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Red
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Red | A Communist; A supporter of a sports team who... |
| 2 | English | rede | Help, advice, counsel; Decision, a plan; To... |
| 3 | Middle English | reden | to counsel, advise; to study; to read |
| 4 | Old English | rǣdan | to read, interpret; to counsel, advise; plot,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | rādan | to advise, counsel, help; to devise, decide,... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | rēdaną | to decide, advise |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | Hreh₁dʰ- | to think; to arrange; to succeed, accomplish |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂reh₁- | to think, reason; to arrange |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |