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
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | rectitūdō | straightness, directness |
| 2 | French | rectitude | rectitude |
| 3 | Late Latin | rectitudo | straightness, uprightness; straightness,... |
| 4 | Latin | rēctus | led straight along, drawn in a straight line, straight, upright |
| 5 | Latin | regō | to rule, govern, direct |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | regō | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃réǵeti | to be straightening, to be setting upright |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |