Where does “redoubt” come from?
Redoubt comes from French redoute, from Italian ridotto, from Latin reductus, the past participle of reducere, meaning "to lead back," formed from re- "back" and ducere "to lead."
redoubt (English): A small, temporary, military fortification; A...
Definitions
- A small, temporary, military fortification; A...
Ancestry of “redoubt”, step by step
redoubt traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English doubt
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | doubt | To be undecided about; to lack confidence in; to... |
| 2 | Middle English | douten | to be in doubt, feel unsure; to be afraid or... |
| 3 | Old French | douter | Alternative form of doter |
| 4 | Latin | dubitō | to waver (in opinion), be uncertain, doubt, question, be in doubt |
| 5 | Latin | dubō | — |
| 6 | Latin | *dubos | — |
| 7 | Indo-European | *bʰuH- | — |
via French redoute
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | redoute | first-person singular present indicative of... |
| 2 | Italian | ridotta | fort, redoubt; set of gears to give a low range;... |
| 3 | Latin | reductus | restored, reformed, reduced |
| 4 | Latin | redūcō | to lead, draw, bring or conduct back; bring or accompany home |
| 5 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | *wre- | re-, more specifically |