Where does “relations” come from?
Relations comes from Middle English relacioun, from Old French relacion, from Latin relatio, the noun form of relatus, past participle of referre, meaning to carry back or report.
relations (English): plural of relation
Definitions
- plural of relation
Ancestry of “relations”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | relation | The manner in which two things may be associated;... |
| 2 | Middle English | relacion | — |
| 3 | Old French | relacion | — |
| 4 | Latin | relātiō | carrying or bringing back |
| 5 | Latin | referō | to bear, bring, drive, or carry back, off, or away |
| 6 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 7 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 8 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |