Erect
/ɪˈrɛkt/noun
To raise or build upright; also, standing up straight.
Did you know?Erect comes from Latin *ērigere*, “to set up, raise,” built from *ex-* (“out”) + *regere* (“to direct, rule, straighten”), a root family that also gave English *rule*, *regal*, and *rectify*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃reǵ-
“to straighten, direct, rule”
Latin
Latin
regere
“to guide, direct, keep straight; rule”
Latin
Latin
ērigere
“to raise up, set upright; build”
Old French
Old French
eriger
“to raise, set up, erect”
Middle English
English
erect
“to raise up; set upright”
Modern English
English
erect
“to build, raise, or stand upright”