Where does “repartee” come from?
Repartee comes from French repartie, from French repartir meaning to retort or reply, formed from French re- and Latin pars meaning part or portion.
repartee (English): A swift, witty reply, especially one that is...
Definitions
- A swift, witty reply, especially one that is...
Ancestry of “repartee”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | repartie | swift retort, repartee, quick rejoinder; feminine... |
| 2 | French | répartir | to distribute, to apportion; forward |
| 3 | French | ré- | re- |
| 4 | Latin | rĕ- | — |
| 5 | Latin | prōdūcō | — |
| 6 | Latin | prō- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |