Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “retro-” come from?

retro- (English) comes from Latin retrō, from Latin dūcere, from Proto-Italic doukō, from Proto-Indo-European déwketi, from Proto-Indo-European dewk- — to pull, to draw; to lead.

retro- (English): Back or backward; Behind; In the opposite...

Definitions

  1. Back or backward; Behind; In the opposite...

Ancestry of “retro-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinretrō—
2Latindūcere—
3Proto-Italicdoukōlead
4Proto-Indo-Europeandéwketi—
5Proto-Indo-Europeandewk-to pull, to draw; to lead

Words derived from “retro-”

  • antiretroviral
  • retroperitoneal
  • retroviral
  • retrofit
  • retrovirus
  • retroperitoneum
  • retropharyngeal
  • retropubic
  • retrobulbar
  • retrotransposon
  • retrosternal
  • retrotransposition
  • retromolar
  • retrosplenial
  • retrocalcaneal
  • retroauricular
  • retropulsion
  • retromandibular
  • retrolental
  • retroperitoneoscopic
  • retrocecal
  • retropalatal
  • retrohepatic
  • retroperitoneally
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dewk- →