Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “repairman” come from?

Repairman combines English repair, from Middle French reparer and Latin reparo (to restore), with English man, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European.

repairman (English): A man whose job is to repair things

Definitions

  1. A man whose job is to repair things

Ancestry of “repairman”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrepairTo restore to good working order, fix, or improve...
2Middle Englishrepairento return
3Old Frenchrepairierto go home
4Late Latinrepatriareto return to one's country; return to one's...
5Latinpatriacountry; fatherland; home; nominative feminine...
6Latinpatriusfather's, fatherly, paternal; hereditary;...
7Latiniūs—
8Latindīcō—
9Latin-tiō—
10Latindissertātiō—
11Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
12Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
13Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
14Latincalceusshoe
Every word from Latin calceus →