Etymograph

English

corrigative

Corrigative comes from Latin corrigō ‘to correct (set right)’, from regō ‘to rule, govern, direct’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-1‘to straighten’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃réǵeti1‘to be straightening, to be setting upright’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*regō1reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregō1‘to rule, govern, direct’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcorrigō2‘to correct (set right)’
  6. Englishtodaycorrigative2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin corrigo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English corrigative

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-Wiktionary, Latin corrigo‘to straighten’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃réǵetiWiktionary, Latin corrigo‘to be straightening, to be setting upright’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*regōWiktionary, Latin corrigoreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregōWiktionary, Latin corrigo‘to rule, govern, direct’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcorrigōWiktionary, English corrigative‘to correct (set right)’
  6. EnglishtodaycorrigativeWiktionary, English corrigative

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’

right, real, regular, royal, rich, rank, correct, roy, radar, arrangement, rack, rex, rogue, arrange, raj, rake, dresser, regency, rector, regal, interrogation, rani, undress, dressage, rajah, rhesus, eldritch, rectilinear, derailleur, interregnum, riel, retch, dirigible, 72 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti ‘to be straightening, to be setting upright’

ana, anorexia, 39 more

through Proto-Italic *regō

direction, regional, resource, regiment, ruler, directory, regimen, erectile, erectus, erector, 34 more

through Latin regō ‘to rule, govern, direct’

source, director, region, rule, address, direct, dress, regime, realm, regulate, erect, resurrection, regent, rectify, rectum, insurrection, droit, dirge, irregularity, rectification, recto, regula, rectus, derecho, regio, rectitude, corregidor, 47 more

through Latin corrigō ‘to correct (set right)’

incorrigible, 3 more

Today it means

adj Corrective.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “corrigative”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin corrigo. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- / corrigative

Shirt and support for this word