Where does “refractoriness” come from?
Refractoriness comes from English refractory, from Latin refractarius, from the past participle refractus of Latin refringere, meaning to break back or resist, from the prefix re- and Proto-Indo-European bʰreg-, to break.
refractoriness (English): The quality of being refractory
Definitions
- The quality of being refractory
Ancestry of “refractoriness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | refractory | Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to... |
| 2 | Latin | refractārius | — |
| 3 | Latin | refractus | broken up or open |
| 4 | Latin | refringere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 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 |