Where does “restrain” come from?
Restrain comes from Middle English restreinen, from Old French restreindre, from Latin restringere and restringo, built with the prefix re- and a root from Proto-Indo-European strenk-, streyg-, and wer-.
restrain (English): To control or keep in check; To deprive of...
Definitions
- To control or keep in check; To deprive of...
Ancestry of “restrain”, step by step
restrain traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English re
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | re | About, regarding, with reference to; especially... |
| 2 | English | reinsurance | Insurance purchased by insurance companies that... |
| 3 | English | re- | again, anew; a completive or intensification of... |
| 4 | Middle English | re- | — |
| 5 | Old French | re- | re- again; once more |
| 6 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 7 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 8 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English strain
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | strain | Race; lineage, pedigree; A particular variety of... |
| 2 | Middle English | straynen | — |
| 3 | Old French | estreindre | to strain |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | strinctus | tightened, compressed |
| 5 | Latin | strictus | tightened, compressed, having been tightened;... |
| 6 | Latin | stringere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 7 | Latin | stringo | I press, tighten, compress; I unsheath |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | stringō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | streyg- | to strike; to shear |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ter- | strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to... |
via Middle English restreinen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | restreinen | — |
| 2 | Old French | restreindre | — |
| 3 | Latin | restringō | to draw back tightly, bind back or fast, tighten |