Where does “relapse” come from?
Relapse comes from Latin relapsus, past participle of relabi meaning to slip back, from labi to slip, derived from labor to slip or fall, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots leb- and wer-.
relapse (English): To fall back again; to slide or turn back into a...
Definitions
- To fall back again; to slide or turn back into a...
Ancestry of “relapse”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | relapsus | relapsed |
| 2 | Latin | relābor | to slide, glide or sink back; to relapse or return |
| 3 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 4 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 5 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |