Where does “refrain” come from?
refrain (Middle Dutch) comes from Middle French refrain, from Old French refrain, from Old French refraindre, from Vulgar Latin refrangere, from Latin refringere, from Latin rĕ-, from Latin prōdūcō, from Latin prō- — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “refrain”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | refrain | — |
| 2 | Old French | refrain | — |
| 3 | Old French | refraindre | to hold back, to restrain; to restrain oneself,... |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | refrangere | — |
| 5 | Latin | refringere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 6 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 7 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 8 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |