Online Etymology Dictionary

direct (adj.): late 14c., from Latin directus "straight," past participle of dirigere "set straight" (see direct (v.)).
direct (v.): late 14c., "to write (to someone), to address," from Latin directus "straight," past participle of dirigere "set straight," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + regere "to direct, to guide, keep straight" (see regal). Compare dress; address.

Meaning "to govern, regulate" is from c. 1500; "to order, ordain" is from 1650s. Sense of "to write the destination on the outside of a letter" is from 16c. Of plays, films, etc., from 1913. Related: Directed; directing.
directive (adj.): mid-15c., from Medieval Latin directivus, from past participle stem of Latin dirigere (see direct (v.)). From 1640s as a noun.
director (n.): late 15c., "a guide," from Anglo-French directour, French directeur, agent noun from Latin dirigere (see direct (v.)). Corporate sense is from 1630s; theatrical sense from 1911.
direction (n.): c. 1400, "orderly arrangement;" c. 1500 as "action of directing," from Latin directionem (nominative directio), noun of action from past participle stem of dirigere (see direct (v.)). Meaning "course pursued by a moving object" is from 1660s. Related: Directional.
directory (n.): 1540s, "guide, book of rules," from Medieval Latin directorium, noun use of neuter of Latin directorius, from directus (see direct (v.)). Meaning "alphabetical listing of inhabitants of a region" is from 1732; listing of telephone numbers is from 1908. As an adjective, from mid-15c.
directly (adv.): 1510s, "in a straight line," from direct (adj.) + -ly (2). Figurative use is slightly earlier (c. 1500). Meaning "at once, immediately in time" (c. 1600) is from earlier sense of "without intermediate steps" (1520s).
derecho (n.): from American Spanish derecho, from Old Spanish diestro, from Latin directus (see direct (v.)).
d.c.: abbreviation of direct current, attested from 1898.
dirigible (n.): "airship," 1885, from French dirigeable, literally "capable of being directed or guided," from Latin dirigere (see direct (v.)). The word existed as an adjective in English from 1580s, with the literal sense.
AC/DC (adj.): electronics abbreviation of alternating current/direct current, by 1898. As slang for "bisexual," 1959, said to have been in use orally from c. 1940; the notion is of working both ways.
address (v.): early 14c., "to guide or direct," from Old French adrecier "go straight toward; straighten, set right; point, direct" (13c.), from Vulgar Latin *addirectiare "make straight," from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + *directiare, from Latin directus "straight, direct" (see direct (v.)). Late 14c. as "to set in order, repair, correct." Meaning "to write as a destination on a written message" is from mid-15c. Meaning "to direct spoken words (to someone)" is from late 15c. Related: Addressed; addressing.
indirect (adj.): late 14c., from Old French indirect (14c.) or directly from Late Latin indirectus "not direct," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + directus (see direct (adj.)). Related: Indirectness.
redirect (v.): 1805 (implied in redirected), from re- "back, again" + direct (v.). Related: Redirecting.
misdirect (v.): c. 1600, "give wrong directions to;" see mis- (1) + direct (v.). Related: Misdirected; misdirecting.
dress (v.): early 14c., "make straight; direct, guide, control, prepare for cooking," from Old French dresser, drecier "raise (oneself), address, prepare, lift, raise, hoist, set up, arrange, set (a table), serve (food), straighten, put right, direct," from Vulgar Latin *directiare, from Latin directus "direct, straight" (see direct (v.)).

Sense of "decorate, adorn" is late 14c., as is that of "put on clothing." Original sense survives in military meaning "align columns of troops." Dress up "attire elaborately" is from 1670s; to dress (someone) down (1769) is ironical. Related: Dressed; dressing. Dressing down "wearing clothes less formal than expected" is from 1960.
adroit (adj.): 1650s, "dexterous," originally "rightly," from French adroit, from phrase à droit "according to right," from Old French à "to" (see ad-) + droit "right," from Late Latin directum "right, justice," accusative of Latin directus "straight" (see direct (v.)). Related: Adroitly; adroitness.
directions (n.): "instructions on how to get somewhere," 1590s, plural of direction (q.v.).
directorate (n.): 1837, from director + -ate (1).
first-hand (adj.): also firsthand, "direct from the source or origin," 1690s, from the image of the "first hand" as the producer or maker of something.
tend (v.1): "to incline, to move in a certain direction," early 14c., from Old French tendre "stretch out, hold forth, hand over, offer" (11c.), from Latin tendere "to stretch, extend, make tense; aim, direct; direct oneself, hold a course" (see tenet).
guidon (n.): "small flag," originally one borne by a military unit to direct movements, 1540s, from Middle French guidon (16c.), from Italian guidone "battle standard," from guidare "to direct, guide," from Old Provençal guidar "to guide," from Proto-Germanic *witanan "to look after, guard" (see guide (v.)).
head (v.): "to be at the head or in the lead," c. 1200, from head (n.). Meaning "to direct the head (toward)" is from c. 1600. Related: headed, heading. The earliest use of the word as a verb meant "behead" (Old English heafdian). Verbal phrase head up "supervise, direct" is attested by 1930.
seductress (n.): 1803, "female seducer," with -ess + obsolete seductor (late 15c., displaced by seducer), from a direct borrowing of the Latin agent noun of seducere (see seduce).
dirge (n.): early 13c., dirige (current contracted form is from c. 1400), from Latin dirige "direct!" imperative of dirigere "to direct," probably from antiphon Dirige, Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam, "Direct, O Lord, my God, my way in thy sight," from Psalm v:9, which opened the Matins service in the Office of the Dead. Transferred sense of "any funeral song" is from c. 1500.
govern (v.): late 13c., "to rule with authority," from Old French governer "steer, be at the helm of; govern, rule, command, direct" (11c., Modern French gouverner), from Latin gubernare "to direct, rule, guide, govern" (source also of Spanish gobernar, Italian governare), originally "to steer, to pilot," a nautical borrowing from Greek kybernan "to steer or pilot a ship, direct as a pilot," figuratively "to guide, govern" (the root of cybernetics). The -k- to -g- sound shift is perhaps via the medium of Etruscan. Intransitive sense from 1590s. Related: Governed; governing.
outright (adv.): c. 1300, "completely, entirely; openly, directly; at once, without hesitation," from out (adv.) + right (adj.1)). Meaning "all at once" is attested from c. 1600. As an adjective, "direct, downright," from 1530s.
constrict (v.): early 15c., from Latin constrictus, past participle of constringere "compress" (see constrain). A direct borrowing from Latin of the same word which, via French, became constrain. Related: Constricted; constricting.
transitive (adj.): "taking a direct object" (of verbs), 1570s (implied in transitively), from Late Latin transitivus (Priscian) "transitive," literally "passing over (to another person)," from transire "go or cross over" (see transient). Related: Transitively.
activist (n.): "one who advocates a doctrine of direct action," 1915; from active + -ist. Originally in reference to political forces in Sweden advocating abandonment of neutrality in World War I and active support for the Central Powers.
Buddhist (n.): 1810, from Buddha + -ist. An earlier word in this sense was a direct borrowing of Sanskrit Bauddha "follower of Buddha" (1801 in English), hence early erroneous hybrid compounds such as Boudhist, Bauddhist.
forthright (adj.): Old English forðriht "direct, plain;" see forth + right (adj.). Compare downright. Related: Forthrightly; forthrightness. As an adverb, Old English forðrihte "straightway, at once; plainly."
beam (v.): "emit rays of light," early 15c., from beam (n.) in the "ray of light" sense. Sense of "to smile radiantly" is from 1804; that of "to direct radio transmissions" is from 1927. Related: Beamed; beaming.
inadvertence (n.): mid-15c., from Old French inadvertance "thoughtlessness, heedlessness" (14c.), from Scholastic Latin inadvertentia, from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + advertentia, from Latin advertere "to direct one's attention to," literally "to turn toward" (see advertise).
sense (v.): "to perceive by the senses," 1590s, from sense (n.). Meaning "be conscious inwardly of (one's state or condition) is from 1680s. Meaning "perceive (a fact or situation) not by direct perception" is from 1872. Related: Sensed; sensing.
immediate (adj.): late 14c., "intervening, interposed;" early 15c., "with nothing interposed; direct," also with reference to time, "without delay, instant," from Old French immediat (14c.), from Late Latin immediatus "without anything between," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + mediatus "in the middle" (see mediate).
proximity (n.): late 15c., from Middle French proximité "nearness" (14c.), from Latin proximitatem (nominative proximitas) "nearness, vicinity," from proximus "nearest, next; most direct; adjoining," figuratively "latest, most recent; next, following; most faithful," superlative of prope "near" (see propinquity).
aim (v.): early 14c., "to estimate, calculate," also "to intend," from Old French aesmer "value, rate; count, estimate," from Latin aestimare "appraise" (see estimation); current meaning apparently developed from "esteem," to "calculate," to "calculate with a view to action" (c. 1400), then to "direct a missile, a blow, etc." (1570s). Related: Aimed; aiming.
regimen (n.): c. 1400, medical, "course of diet, exercise, etc. for sake of health;" mid-15c., "act of governing," from Old French regimen (14c.), from Latin regimen "rule, guidance, government, means of guidance, rudder," from regere "to rule, to direct, keep straight, guide" (see regal).
regulate (v.): early 15c., "adjust by rule, control," from Late Latin regulatus, past participle of regulare "to control by rule, direct," from Latin regula "rule" (see regular). Meaning "to govern by restriction" is from 1620s. Related: Regulated; regulating.
reign (n.): early 13c., "kingdom," from Old French reigne "kingdom, land, country" (Modern French règne), from Latin regnum "kingship, dominion, rule, realm," related to regere "to rule, to direct, keep straight, guide" (see regal). Meaning "period of rule" first recorded mid-14c.
amygdala (n.): "the tonsils," 1540s (amygdal), from Latin, from Greek amygdale "almond" (see almond). The anatomical use is as a direct translation of Arabic al-lauzatani "the two tonsils," literally "the two almonds," so called by Arabic physicians for fancied resemblance. From early 15c. as amygdales "tonsils;" as "almonds" from mid-12c.
erect (adj.): late 14c., "upright, not bending," from Latin erectus "upright, elevated, lofty; eager, alert, aroused; resolute; arrogant," past participle of erigere "raise or set up," from e- "up, out of" + regere "to direct, keep straight, guide" (see regal).
ergo (conj.): c. 1400, from Latin ergo "therefore, in consequence of," possibly from *ex rogo "from the direction," from ex "out of" (see ex-) + root of regere "to direct, to guide" (see regal). Used in logic to introduce the conclusion of a complete and necessary syllogism.
IOU: also I.O.U., I O U, 1610s, originally written IOV (see V); a punning on "I Owe You." "A memorandum or acknowledgement of debt less formal than a promissory note, because no direct promise to pay is expressed." [Century Dictionary]
artisan (n.): 1530s, from Italian artesano, from Vulgar Latin artitianus, from Latin artitus, past participle of artire "to instruct in the arts," from ars (genitive artis) "art" (see art (n.)). Barnhart reports Middle French artisan, often listed as the direct source of the English word, is attested too late to be so.
rule (v.): c. 1200, "to control, guide, direct," from Old French riuler "impose rule," from Latin regulare (see regulate). Legal sense "establish by decision" is recorded from early 15c. Meaning "mark with lines" is from 1590s. Meaning "to dominate, prevail" is from 1874. "Rule Brittania," patriotic song, is from 1740. Related: Ruled; ruling.
compound (v.): "to put together," late 14c., compounen "to mix, combine," from Old French compondre, componre "arrange, direct," from Latin componere "to put together" (see composite). The -d appeared 1500s in English on model of expound, etc. Related: Compounded; compounding.
avert (v.): c. 1400, from Old French avertir (12c.), "turn, direct; avert; make aware," from Vulgar Latin *advertire, from Latin avertere "to turn away, to drive away," from ab- "from, away" (see ab-) + vertere "to turn" (see versus). Related: Averted; averting.
arcana (n.): "hidden things, mysteries," 1590s, a direct adoption of the Latin plural of arcanum "a secret, a mystery," from neuter of adjective arcanus "secret, hidden, private, concealed" (see arcane). Occasionally mistaken for a singular and pluralized as arcanas because arcana is far more common than arcanum.