Etymograph

English

resurrection

Resurrection comes from Latin resurgō ‘to rise again’, from subrigō ‘to lift up’, 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‘lead, rule’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubrigō1‘to lift up’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsurrigō1
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsurgō2‘to rise’
  8. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEresurgō2‘to rise again’
  9. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEresurrēctiōnem2
  10. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400resurrectiun2
  11. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500resurreccioun2
  12. Englishearliest quotation 1611resurrection2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin surgo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English resurrection
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “But the rest of the dead lived not again…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-Wiktionary, Latin surgo‘to straighten’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃réǵetiWiktionary, Latin surgo‘to be straightening, to be setting upright’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*regōWiktionary, Latin surgoreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregōWiktionary, Latin surgo‘lead, rule’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubrigōWiktionary, Latin surgo‘to lift up’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsurrigōWiktionary, Latin surgo
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsurgōWiktionary, English resurrection‘to rise’
  8. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEresurgōWiktionary, English resurrection‘to rise again’
  9. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEresurrēctiōnemWiktionary, English resurrection
  10. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400resurrectiunWiktionary, English resurrection
  11. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500resurrecciounWiktionary, English resurrection
  12. Englishearliest quotation 1611resurrectionWiktionary, English resurrection. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “But the rest of the dead lived not again…”

Equivalent to resurrect + -ion

Latin resurrēct-

English resurrect

Linked words

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

right, real, rich, royal, regular, rank, roy, radar, correct, arrangement, rack, rogue, arrange, rex, raj, rake, regal, interrogation, regency, dresser, rani, rector, rajah, undress, dressage, eldritch, rhesus, riel, dirigible, derailleur, interregnum, retch, rectilinear, 73 more

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

ana, anorexia, 40 more

through Proto-Italic *regō

regional, direction, ruler, regiment, directory, regimen, erectile, erectus, erector, 35 more

through Latin regō ‘lead, rule’

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

through Latin surgō ‘to rise’

source, surge, insurrection, 8 more

through Latin resurgō ‘to rise again’

resource, 1 more

Today it means

noun The act of arising from the dead and becoming alive again.

Sources

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

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