Where does “pre-” come from?

pre- (Catalan) comes from Latin prae-, from Proto-Italic prai-, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.

pre- (Catalan): Before; used to form words meaning "in front of"...

Definitions

  1. Before; used to form words meaning "in front of"...

Ancestry of “pre-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinprae-before; in front; in charge
2Proto-Italicprai-pre-, before
3Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
4Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “pre-

Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tósEvery word from Proto-Indo-European per-Every word from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-