Where does “refrain” come from?
refrain (French) comes from Old French refraindre, from Vulgar Latin refrangere, from Latin refringere, from Latin rĕ-, from Latin prōdūcō, from Latin prō-, from Proto-Italic *pro-, from Proto-Indo-European pro- — passed , crossed.
refrain (French): refrain, chorus
Definitions
- refrain, chorus
Ancestry of “refrain”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | refraindre | to hold back, to restrain; to restrain oneself,... |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | refrangere | — |
| 3 | Latin | refringere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 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 |