Where does “retrospective” come from?
Retrospective derives from Latin retrospectivus, formed from Latin retro (backward) and Latin re- (again) combined with Latin retrospectum (looked back upon), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wert- and Proto-Indo-European wer- (to turn).
retrospective (English): Of, relating to, or contemplating the past;...
Definitions
- Of, relating to, or contemplating the past;...
Ancestry of “retrospective”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | retrospectus | |
| 2 | Latin | retrospicio | I look back at |
| 3 | Latin | retrō | back, backwards, behind |
| 4 | Latin | dūcere | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | doukō | lead |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | déwketi | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dewk- | to pull, to draw; to lead |