Where does “referee” come from?
referee (Finnish) comes from English referee, from Middle English relesen, from Old French referer, from Latin referre, from Latin ferre, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.
referee (Finnish): referee expert who judges the manuscript of an article or book to decide if it should be published
Definitions
- referee expert who judges the manuscript of an article or book to decide if it should be published
Ancestry of “referee”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | referee | An umpire or judge; an official who makes sure... |
| 2 | Middle English | relesen | — |
| 3 | Old French | referer | to tell; to talk about; to speak of |
| 4 | Latin | referre | present active infinitive of referō; to refer |
| 5 | Latin | ferre | present active infinitive of ferō; bring; carry |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |