Where does “à rebrousse-poil” come from?
à rebrousse-poil (French) comes from French poil, from Old French peil, from Latin pīlus, from Latin pīlum, from Proto-Italic pistlom, from Proto-Indo-European pis-tlo-, from Proto-Indo-European peys- — to grind, to crush.
à rebrousse-poil (French): the wrong way, against the grain
Definitions
- the wrong way, against the grain
Ancestry of “à rebrousse-poil”, step by step
à rebrousse-poil traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French poil
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | poil | hair; bristle |
| 2 | Old French | peil | — |
| 3 | Latin | pīlus | a hair |
| 4 | Latin | pīlum | a pounder, pestle |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | pistlom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pis-tlo- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | peys- | to grind, to crush |
via French rebrousser
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | rebrousser | to brush over |
| 2 | Middle French | rebourser | — |
| 3 | French | rebours | churlish, disagreeable; opposite, reverse |
| 4 | Late Latin | reburrus | with bristling hair |