Where does “reincarnation” come from?
Reincarnation derives from English reincarnate, which combines English incarnate with the prefix re-, ultimately tracing through Latin incarnatus and Latin in- to Proto-Indo-European roots expressing embodiment and form.
reincarnation (English): A rebirth of a soul, in a physical life form,...
Definitions
- A rebirth of a soul, in a physical life form,...
Ancestry of “reincarnation”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | reincarnate | To be, or cause to be, reborn, especially in a... |
| 2 | English | re- | again, anew; a completive or intensification of... |
| 3 | Middle English | re- | — |
| 4 | Old French | re- | re- again; once more |
| 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 |