Etymograph

English

rely

Rely comes from Old French relier ‘fasten, attach, rally, oblige’, and goes back to Proto-Italic *wre- ‘again’.

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wre-‘again’reconstructedearlier origin unknown
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEreligo‘fasten, bind fast’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400relier‘fasten, attach, rally, oblige’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500relien
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1989rely

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wre-‘again’reconstructedearlier origin unknown
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEreligo‘fasten, bind fast’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400relier‘fasten, attach, rally, oblige’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500relien
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1989rely

Earliest quotation: 1989, Antonin Scalia: “Parts I and IV of the Court's opinion, and…”

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *wre- ‘again’

require, rescue, reverse, reminiscent, remark, reciprocal, revoke, reciprocate, repellent, refrigerate, repulse, regurgitate, rappel, 16 more

through Latin religo ‘fasten, bind fast’

religious, religion, religiosity, 3 more

Today it means

verb To trust; to have confidence in.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Italic *wre- / rely

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