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
- The act of repelling or the condition of being...
Ancestry of “repulsion”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | répulsion | — |
| 2 | Late Latin | repulsio | — |
| 3 | Latin | repulsus | having been rejected, repulsed, repelled; having... |
| 4 | Latin | repellō | to drive, push or thrust back or away; reject, repulse, repel |
| 5 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 6 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 7 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |