Where does “retreating” come from?
Retreating comes from English retreat, from Old French re- combined with trahere, a Latin verb meaning to draw or pull.
retreating (English): present participle of retreat; The act of moving...
Definitions
- present participle of retreat; The act of moving...
Ancestry of “retreating”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | retreat | The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from... |
| 2 | Middle English | retret | — |
| 3 | Old French | retrait | — |
| 4 | Latin | retractus | withdrawn |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 |