Where does “refinement” come from?
Refinement comes from English refine and fine, from Italian fine, Latin -mentum (suffix forming nouns), and Latin re- (prefix meaning again), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰeygʷ- (to knead or form).
refinement (English): The act, or the result of refining; the removal...
Definitions
- The act, or the result of refining; the removal...
Ancestry of “refinement”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | refine | To purify; reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure... |
| 2 | English | re- | again, anew; a completive or intensification of... |
| 3 | Middle English | re- | — |
| 4 | Old French | re- | re- again; once more |
| 5 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 6 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 7 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |