Etymology Explorer › Middle French

Where does “rectitude” come from?

rectitude (Middle French) comes from Latin rectitūdō, from French rectitude, from Late Latin rectitudo, from Latin rēctus, 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 “rectitude”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinrectitūdō—
2Frenchrectituderectitude
3Late Latinrectitudostraightness, uprightness; straightness,...
4Latinrēctus—
5Latinregō—
6Proto-Italicregō—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃réǵetito be straightening, to be setting upright
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵ-to straighten, to right oneself; right; just

Words derived from “rectitude”

  • rectitude
  • rectitude
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- →