Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “repulsion” come from?

Repulsion comes from Middle French répulsion, from Late Latin repulsio, from Latin repellere meaning to drive back, formed from re- and pelh₂- meaning to thrust or drive.

repulsion (English): The act of repelling or the condition of being...

Definitions

  1. The act of repelling or the condition of being...

Ancestry of “repulsion”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchrépulsion—
2Late Latinrepulsio—
3Latinrepulsushaving been rejected, repulsed, repelled; having...
4Latinrepellō—
5Latinrĕ-—
6Latinprōdūcō—
7Latinprō-—
8Proto-Italic*pro-—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
11Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
12Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “repulsion”

  • chemorepulsion
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →