reproach
rih-PROHCH · verb
LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish
Origin
English reproach comes from Middle English reprochen, from Old French reprochier, which traces back to Vulgar Latin *repropiō — built from Latin re- ("back, again") plus propriō, a form related to proprius, meaning "one's own" or "near."
Journey
The Vulgar Latin root suggests an original sense close to "bring near again" or "close the distance," which shifted through Old French reprochier and Middle English reprochen into the modern meaning of expressing blame or disapproval.
Related words
It shares its deeper root with proprius, the Latin ancestor of English "proper" — both trace back to the idea of something being one's own or close at hand.