Where does “retard” come from?
Retard comes from Middle English retarden, meaning to delay or slow down.
retard (English): Retardation; delay; A slowing down of the tempo;...
Definitions
- Retardation; delay; A slowing down of the tempo;...
Ancestry of “retard”, step by step
retard traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French retarder
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | retarder | to retard; to delay; to make late |
| 2 | Latin | retardo | I hinder, delay, detain, impede or retard |
| 3 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 4 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 5 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |