Where does “refuge” come from?
Refuge comes from Old French refuge, from Latin refugium, combining the prefix re- with Latin fugio meaning to flee, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer-.
refuge (English): A state of safety, protection or shelter; A place...
Definitions
- A state of safety, protection or shelter; A place...
Ancestry of “refuge”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | refuge | refuge state or means of protection |
| 2 | Old French | refuge | a refuge; a protector or savior |
| 3 | Latin | refugium | refuge |
| 4 | Latin | refugiō | to run away, flee or escape |
| 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 |