Etymograph

English

recto

Recto comes from Latin rēctō ‘on the right leaf, on the right page’, from regō ‘to keep or lead straight, to guide’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-1‘to straighten, direct’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵtós1‘having moved in a straight line’uncertain
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*rektos1reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregō1‘to keep or lead straight, to guide’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErēctus2‘right’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErēctō2‘on the right leaf, on the right page’
  7. Englishtodayrecto2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin rectus
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English recto

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-Wiktionary, Latin rectus‘to straighten, direct’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵtósWiktionary, Latin rectus‘having moved in a straight line’uncertain
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*rektosWiktionary, Latin rectusreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregōWiktionary, Latin rectus‘to keep or lead straight, to guide’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErēctusWiktionary, English recto‘right’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErēctōWiktionary, English recto‘on the right leaf, on the right page’
  7. EnglishtodayrectoWiktionary, English recto

Linked words

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

real, rich, royal, regular, regional, rank, arrangement, roy, radar, resource, correct, arrange, rack, ana, rogue, ruler, righteous, upright, rightly, regiment, interrogation, raj, rex, rake, rightful, directory, regimen, regal, regency, rani, anorexia, rajah, rhesus, eldritch, rightness, riel, aright, erectile, dirigible, derailleur, 73 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵtós ‘having moved in a straight line’

right, 5 more

through Latin regō ‘to keep or lead straight, to guide’

source, rule, region, dress, direction, director, direct, regime, realm, regulate, resurrection, regent, insurrection, erect, incorrigible, droit, irregularity, dirge, regula, corregidor, regio, derecho, 44 more

through Latin rēctus ‘right’

address, dresser, undress, dressage, rectify, rectum, rectification, rectitude, rectus, 4 more

Today it means

noun The front side of a flat object which is to be examined visually, as for reading, such as a sheet, leaf, coin or medal.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “recto”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin rectus. 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- / recto

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