'peruuttaa' originates from Finnish, formed from the root 'perä' (meaning 'rear, back') plus a causative/verb-forming element (‑ttaa) to create the sense 'make go to the back' or 'cause to move back'.

'peruuttaa' developed from older Finnish roots related to 'perä' (front/back concept) with a verbalizing suffix; the causative/derivative formation produced the modern verb 'peruuttaa' used for both reversing motion and canceling actions.

Initially, it primarily meant 'to move to the rear' or 'cause to move back'; over time the meaning broadened metaphorically to include 'to cancel' or 'to annul' (i.e., move an action back or undo it).