Etymology

backpedal

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Today it means: To pedal backwards on a bicycle. Full definition →

English pedal ← French pédale ← Italian pedale
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeg-der.?
  2. Proto-Germanic*baką
  3. Proto-West Germanic*bak
  4. Old Englishbæc
  5. Middle Englishbak
  6. Englishback
  7. Proto-Indo-European*ped-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*pṓds
  9. Proto-Italic*pets
  10. Latinpēs
  11. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  13. Latinpedālis
  14. Italianpedale
  15. Frenchpédale
  16. Englishpedal
  17. English todaybackpedal

From back + pedal.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.