Where does “reluctant” come from?
Reluctant comes from Latin reluctans, the present participle of reluctor, formed from the prefix re- and a verb root from Proto-Indo-European lewg-.
reluctant (English): Opposing; offering resistance; Not wanting to...
Definitions
- Opposing; offering resistance; Not wanting to...
Ancestry of “reluctant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | reluctans | resisting |
| 2 | Latin | reluctor | I resist |
| 3 | English | re- | again, anew; a completive or intensification of... |
| 4 | Middle English | re- | — |
| 5 | Old French | re- | re- again; once more |
| 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 |