Relative
/ˈrɛl.ə.tɪv/noun
A person connected by blood or marriage, or something considered in relation to something else.
Did you know?Relative and related words ultimately come from Latin re-ferre, “to carry back” or “report,” which is why the word’s deepest history is about connection, comparison, and returning to a source.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bher-
“to carry, bear”
Latin
Latin
ferre
“to carry, bear”
Latin
Latin
referre
“to carry back, report”
Late Latin
Latin
relativus
“having reference to something else”
14th Century
Middle English
relatif
“having relation to something else”
Modern English
English
relative
“connected by blood or marriage; considered in relation to something else”
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