Where does “retroreflect” come from?
retroreflect (English) comes from English reflect, from Old French reflecter, from Latin reflectō, from Latin rĕ-, from Latin prōdūcō, from Latin prō-, from Proto-Italic *pro-, from Proto-Indo-European pro- — passed , crossed.
retroreflect (English): To reflect in such a way that the reflected rays...
Definitions
- To reflect in such a way that the reflected rays...
Ancestry of “retroreflect”, step by step
retroreflect traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English reflect
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | reflect | To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface |
| 2 | Old French | reflecter | — |
| 3 | Latin | reflectō | to turn back or away; yield; retreat |
| 4 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 5 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 6 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |