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
- The quality or state of resembling; That which...
Ancestry of “resemblance”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | resemblance | similarity |
| 2 | Old French | resemblance | similarity |
| 3 | Old French | resembler | to look like; to resemble |
| 4 | Old French | re- | re- again; once more |
| 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 |