Where does “erect” come from?
erect (Middle English) comes from Latin ērectus, from Latin ērigō, from Latin regō, from Proto-Italic regō, from Proto-Indo-European h₃réǵeti, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- — to straighten, to right oneself; right; just.
Ancestry of “erect”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | ērectus | erected, made upright, raised, having been set up |
| 2 | Latin | ērigō | to raise up, elevate, lift |
| 3 | Latin | regō | to rule, govern, direct |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | regō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃réǵeti | to be straightening, to be setting upright |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |