English
return
Return comes from Middle English returnen, from Anglo-Norman returner, from Medieval Latin retornare ‘to turn back’ (re- + tornāre ‘to turn’).
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*terh₁-‘to rub, turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tórh₁nosreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*tórnosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτόρνοςtórnos‘turning-lathe’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtornus‘lathe’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtornō‘to turn’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500retornare‘to turn back’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400retourner
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400returner
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500returnen‘to return’
- Englishearliest quotation 1470–1485return
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*terh₁-‘to rub, turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tórh₁nosreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*tórnosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτόρνοςtórnos‘turning-lathe’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtornus‘lathe’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtornō‘to turn’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500retornare‘to turn back’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400retourner
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400returner
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500returnen‘to return’
- Englishearliest quotation 1470–1485return
Earliest quotation: 1470–1485, (please specify the chapter): “‘I suppose here is none woll be glad to…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- ‘to rub, turn’
throw, thread, tragic, threshold, trout, detrimental, tyrone, attrition, thrash, detriment, triage, trite, termite, tribulation, overturn, truant, detritus, tyro, thresher, derma, thresh, upturn, 38 more
through Medieval Latin tornō ‘to turn’
Today it means
verb To come or go back (to a place or person).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- / return