Where does “retiring” come from?
Retiring comes from English retire, from Middle French re- and Old French re-, from Latin re- (meaning "back"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer-.
retiring (English): introverted, liking privacy and seclusion;...
Definitions
- introverted, liking privacy and seclusion;...
Ancestry of “retiring”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | retire | To stop working on a permanent basis, usually... |
| 2 | English | re- | again, anew; a completive or intensification of... |
| 3 | Middle English | re- | — |
| 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 |