English
recursion
Recursion comes from Latin recursiō ‘the act of running back or again, return’, from currō ‘run’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱers-‘to run’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥s-é-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*korzō‘to run’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcurrō‘run’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErecurrō‘run back’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErecursiō‘the act of running back or again, return’
- Englishearliest quotation 1852recursion
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱers-‘to run’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥s-é-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*korzō‘to run’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcurrō‘run’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErecurrō‘run back’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErecursiō‘the act of running back or again, return’
- Englishearliest quotation 1852recursion
Earliest quotation: 1852, William Hastings Macaulay: “The inhabitants predicate the recursion of these storms by…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- ‘to run’
charge, carry, career, rush, carrier, cargo, hurry, carriage, occurrence, intercourse, carousel, chariot, corral, caricature, hurrah, recourse, cursory, carrack, 36 more
through Proto-Italic *korzō ‘to run’
corridor, discourse, courier, concurrent, concourse, incursion, 20 more
through Latin currō ‘run’
course, current, occur, currency, curriculum, incur, precursor, corsair, concur, cursor, courant, hussar, succour, 24 more
through Latin recurrō ‘run back’
Today it means
noun The act of recurring.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- / recursion