Where does “retenue” come from?
retenue (Middle English) comes from Old French retenue, from Old French retenir, from Latin retinīre, from Latin retinēre, from Latin rĕ-, from Latin prōdūcō, from Latin prō-, from Proto-Italic *pro- — passed , crossed.
retenue (Middle English): A small group or company of hirelings or people,...
Definitions
- A small group or company of hirelings or people,...
Ancestry of “retenue”, step by step
retenue traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French retenue
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | retenue | — |
| 2 | Old French | retenir | to keep; to retain |
| 3 | Latin | retinīre | — |
| 4 | Latin | retinēre | — |
| 5 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 6 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 7 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Anglo-Norman retenue
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | retenue | — |