English
direct
Direct is borrowed from Latin dīrēctus, perfect passive participle of dīrigō ‘to straighten, direct’, from dis- + regō ‘to rule’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregō‘to make straight, rule’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīrigō‘to straighten, direct’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīrēctus‘laid straight’perfect passive participle of dīrigō
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1597direct
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregō‘to make straight, rule’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīrigō‘to straighten, direct’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīrēctus‘laid straight’perfect passive participle of dīrigō
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1597direct
Earliest quotation: c. 1597, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wiues of Windsor: “I'll first direct my men what they shall do.”
The story
For the meaning development compare with Russian напра́вить (naprávitʹ, “to direct, to turn, to aim, to level, to point”), отпра́вить (otprávitʹ, “to send, to dispatch, to forward”) connected with пра́вить (právitʹ, “to govern, to rule, to drive, to steer”).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’
right, real, rich, royal, regular, rank, arrangement, roy, radar, correct, arrange, rack, rogue, interrogation, raj, rex, rake, regal, regency, rani, rajah, rector, rhesus, eldritch, riel, derailleur, interregnum, dirigible, retch, rectilinear, 76 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti ‘to straighten’
through Proto-Italic *regō
regional, resource, ruler, regiment, regimen, erectile, erectus, erector, 38 more
through Latin regō ‘make straight, rule’
source, rule, region, regime, realm, regulate, resurrection, regent, dresser, erect, insurrection, undress, dressage, rectify, incorrigible, régime, irregularity, rectum, rectification, regula, corregidor, regio, rectitude, rectus, recto, 46 more
through Latin dīrigō ‘straighten, direct’
through Latin dīrēctus ‘laid straight, arranged in lines, having been…’
Today it means
adj Proceeding without deviation or interruption.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin regō / direct