Where does “respite” come from?
Respite comes from Old French respit, from Latin respectus, the past participle of respicere meaning "to look back," formed from re- "back" and specere "to look," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- "to observe."
respite (English): A brief interval of rest or relief; A reprieve,...
Definitions
- A brief interval of rest or relief; A reprieve,...
Ancestry of “respite”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | respit | rest |
| 2 | Latin | respectus | respected; looking back; regard, consideration,... |
| 3 | Latin | respiciō | to look behind, look back at or upon, look to, look around |
| 4 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 5 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 6 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |