Where does “redefinition” come from?
Redefinition comes from Middle English re- combined with Middle French definition, which derives from Latin re- and Latin de, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European dʰeygʷ-.
redefinition (English): The act or event of redefining
Definitions
- The act or event of redefining
Ancestry of “redefinition”, step by step
redefinition traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English definition
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | definition | A statement of the meaning of a word or word... |
| 2 | Middle English | diffinicioun | — |
| 3 | Middle French | definition | definition |
| 4 | Latin | dēfīnītiō | definition; precise description |
| 5 | Latin | dēfīniō | to bound, set bounds to; to limit |
| 6 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 7 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 8 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 9 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |
via French définition
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | définition | definition |
| 2 | Latin | dēfīnītiōnem | — |