English
reverse
Reverse comes from Middle English revers, from Anglo-Norman revers, from Latin reversus, past participle of reversō (re- + versō ‘to turn’).
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEversō‘to turn’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEreversō‘to turn back’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEreversus‘turned back’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400revers
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500revers‘reversed’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1597reverse
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEversō‘to turn’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEreversō‘to turn back’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEreversus‘turned back’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400revers
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500revers‘reversed’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1597reverse
Earliest quotation: c. 1597, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wiues of Windsor: “but first , master see thee pass thy punto…”
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *wre- ‘again’
require, rescue, rely, reminiscent, remark, reciprocal, revoke, repellent, reciprocate, refrigerate, rappel, regurgitate, repulse, 16 more
Another origin of reverse
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wre-‘back’uncertain
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wre-‘again’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEreversō‘to turn back, turn around’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400reverser
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500reversen
- Englishtodayreverse
Today it means
adj Opposite, contrary; going in the opposite direction.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin versō / reverse