Where does “reflexive possessive” come from?
reflexive possessive (English) comes from English reflexive, from Medieval Latin reflexivus, from Latin reflexus, from Latin reflectō, from Latin rĕ-, from Latin prōdūcō, from Latin prō-, from Proto-Italic *pro- — passed , crossed.
reflexive possessive (English): A grammatical construction in which the object of a clause is stated to be in the possession of the subject
Definitions
- A grammatical construction in which the object of a clause is stated to be in the possession of the subject
Ancestry of “reflexive possessive”, step by step
reflexive possessive traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English reflexive
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | reflexive | Referring back to the subject, or having an... |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | reflexivus | reflexive |
| 3 | Latin | reflexus | turned back or away, reflected |
| 4 | Latin | reflectō | to turn back or away; yield; retreat |
| 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 |
via English possessive
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | possessive | Of or pertaining to ownership or possession;... |
| 2 | Middle French | possessif | — |
| 3 | Latin | possessivus | possessive |
| 4 | Latin | possideō | to have, hold, own, possess |
| 5 | Latin | potis | able, capable, possible |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | potis | master, in control of |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pótis | master, ruler; husband |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₃tis | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₃- | to drink |