Where does “reform” come from?
Reform comes from Old French reformer, from Latin reformāre meaning to shape again, derived from the prefix re- and forma meaning form, ultimately from Ancient Greek μορφή and Proto-Indo-European wer-.
reform (English): The change of something that is defective,...
Definitions
- The change of something that is defective,...
Ancestry of “reform”, step by step
reform traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Reform
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Reform | reform |
| 2 | French | réforme | reform; first-person singular present indicative... |
| 3 | French | réformer | to reform |
| 4 | Latin | refōrmō | to transform, reshape, remold |
| 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 |