| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
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8. Word Formation: Plurals, Possessives, Affixes, and Compounds
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| § 45. retro- |
| The prefix retro-, meaning “backward, back,” comes from the Latin prefix retro-, meaning “backward, behind.” The most common English words beginning with retro- are derived from Latin words or elements. Retroactive comes from Latin retro- and the verb agere, “to drive.” Retrograde combines retro- with the verb gradi, “to walk.” Retrospect adds retro- to the verb specere, “to look at.” The 19th and 20th centuries have seen many scientific or technical terms coined with English retro-, such as retrorocket. | 1 |
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| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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