Etymograph

English

repellent

Repellent comes from Latin repellēns ‘repelling’, from pellō ‘push, drive’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *wre- ‘back, backwards’.

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wre-‘back, backwards’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*pelnō‘to approach’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpellō‘push, drive’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErepellō‘repel, reject’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErepellēns‘repelling’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1954repellent

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wre-‘back, backwards’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*pelnō‘to approach’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpellō‘push, drive’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErepellō‘repel, reject’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErepellēns‘repelling’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1954repellent

Earliest quotation: 1954, Ian Fleming, Beau Desert: “The most successful form of shark repellent, according to…”

Formed from repel + -ent

Latin pellō ‘to drive’

Latin repellere ‘to drive back’

Old French *repeller

Middle English repellen

English repel

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *wre- ‘back, backwards’

require, rescue, reverse, rely, remark, reminiscent, reciprocal, revoke, reciprocate, refrigerate, regurgitate, 16 more

through Proto-Italic *pelnō ‘to approach’

impulse, 11 more

through Latin pellō ‘push, drive’

appeal, pulse, compulsory, propulsion, expulsion, compulsive, compel, appellate, expel, propel, dispel, pelt, impel, rappel, 15 more

through Latin repellō ‘repel, reject’

repeal, repulse

Today it means

adj Repulsive, inspiring aversion.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Italic *wre- / repellent

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