English
reduce
Reduce comes from Old French reduire, from Latin redūcō ‘to lead back’, from re- + dūcō ‘to lead’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- ‘to pull’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-‘to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déwkti‘to pull’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*doukō‘to lead’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdūcō‘lead’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEredūcō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400reduire‘to reduce’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500reducen
- Englishearliest quotation 1671reduce
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-‘to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déwkti‘to pull’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*doukō‘to lead’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdūcō‘lead’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEredūcō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400reduire‘to reduce’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500reducen
- Englishearliest quotation 1671reduce
Earliest quotation: 1671, John Tillotson, Sermon II. The Folly of Scoffing at Religion. 2 Pet[er] III.: “nothing so excellent but a man may falten upon…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dewk- ‘to draw, pull’
team, touch, tie, toy, introduce, tow, tying, tighten, tug, duchess, tuck, herzog, tether, taut, untie, tew, teem, induct, 96 more
through Proto-Indo-European *déwkti ‘to pull, to draw’
unproductive, productively, abductor, preproduction, 95 more
through Proto-Italic *doukō ‘to lead’
productive, productivity, producer, conductor, reproduction, deduction, reproduce, seduction, byproduct, conduction, inductive, subduction, transduction, deduct, abduct, overproduction, ductile, inductor, adductor, dukedom, adduct, 99 more
through Latin dūcō ‘lead’
production, education, product, introduction, duke, produce, conduct, dolphin, conn, induction, educate, douche, duct, doge, educator, conducive, induce, subdue, cond, duchy, transducer, seduce, duc, dux, ducal, 120 more
through Latin redūcō
Today it means
verb To bring down the size, quantity, quality, value or intensity of something; to diminish, to lower.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dewk- / reduce