Where does “refractory” come from?
Refractory comes from Latin refractarius, derived from Latin refractus, the past participle of refringere, meaning to break, from Latin re- and Proto-Indo-European bʰreg-.
refractory (English): Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to...
Definitions
- Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to...
Ancestry of “refractory”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | refractārius | — |
| 2 | Latin | refractus | broken up or open |
| 3 | Latin | refringere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 4 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 5 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 6 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |