Where does “repellent” come from?
Repellent comes from Latin repellens, the present participle of repello, combining the prefix re- with a verb from Proto-Italic pelnō, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European pelh₂-, meaning to drive or push away.
repellent (English): Tending or able to repel; driving back;...
Definitions
- Tending or able to repel; driving back;...
Ancestry of “repellent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | repellens | repelling; rejecting |
| 2 | Latin | repellō | to drive, push or thrust back or away; reject, repulse, repel |
| 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 |