Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “resemblance” come from?

Resemblance comes from Old French resemblance, formed from Old French re- and similis via Latin re-, -antia, and similis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer- and sem-.

resemblance (English): The quality or state of resembling; That which...

Definitions

  1. The quality or state of resembling; That which...

Ancestry of “resemblance”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Anglo-Normanresemblancesimilarity
2Old Frenchresemblancesimilarity
3Old Frenchresemblerto look like; to resemble
4Old Frenchre-re-
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 “resemblance”

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