'recumbent' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'recumbere,' where 're-' meant 'back' and 'cumbere' meant 'to lie down.'

'recumbere' transformed into the French word 'recumbant,' and eventually became the modern English word 'recumbent' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to lie back or recline,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.