Where does “reinforcement” come from?
Reinforcement comes from English reinforce, from Old French -ment and Latin -mentum, derived from Latin re- and Proto-Indo-European men-.
reinforcement (English): The act, process, or state of reinforcing or...
Definitions
- The act, process, or state of reinforcing or...
Ancestry of “reinforcement”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | reinforce | To strengthen, especially by addition or... |
| 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 |