Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “reveal” come from?

Reveal comes from Middle English revelen, from Old French revel, from Latin revelare, composed of the prefix re- and bellus meaning "beautiful."

reveal (English): The outer side of a window or door frame; the...

Definitions

  1. The outer side of a window or door frame; the...

Ancestry of “reveal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishrevelenTo revel; to merry-make or entertain oneself; To...
2Middle Frenchrévéler—
3Old Frenchrevelerto revel; to be disorderly, to make merry; to...
4Latinrevelarepresent active infinitive of revēlō;...
5Latinvelarepresent active infinitive of vēlō; second-person...
6LatinveloI cover, wrap, veil; I conceal, cover
7Latin-oforms masculine agent nouns, positive and...
8Proto-Italic-ōd—
9Proto-Indo-European-éad—

Words derived from “reveal”

  • revealer
  • revealeth
  • revealment
  • revealest
  • revealable
  • unrevealable
  • revealability
  • irrevealable
  • revealee
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -éad →