Where does “retract” come from?
Retract comes from Middle English retracten, from Old French retracter, from Late Latin retractō, combining the Latin prefix re- with traho meaning "to draw" or "to pull."
retract (English): To pull back inside; To draw back; to draw up; To...
Definitions
- To pull back inside; To draw back; to draw up; To...
Ancestry of “retract”, step by step
retract traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French rétracter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | rétracter | to retract, contract |
| 2 | Latin | retractāre | — |
| 3 | Latin | retractō | to undertake again |
| 4 | Latin | retractus | withdrawn |
| 5 | Latin | retrahō | to draw or pull back, withdraw; call back, remove; withhold; divert |
| 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 Middle English retracten
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | retracten | — |