Where does “rely” come from?
Rely comes from Old French relier, from Latin religo, meaning to bind back, derived from Latin ligo, to bind, influenced by Latin res, thing.
rely (English): to trust; to have confidence in; to depend
Definitions
- to trust; to have confidence in; to depend
Ancestry of “rely”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | relier | fasten, attach, rally, oblige |
| 2 | Latin | religō | to bind fast |
| 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 |