Where does “president” come from?
President comes from English precedent, from Latin prae- and Latin cedo, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European preh₂- meaning to grasp and per- meaning to go forward.
president (English): The head of state of a republic; In presidential...
Definitions
- The head of state of a republic; In presidential...
Ancestry of “president”, step by step
president traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English precedent
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | precedent | An act in the past which may be used as an... |
| 2 | Latin | praecēdēns | preceding |
| 3 | Latin | praecēdō | to precede (go before) |
| 4 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Old French president
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | president | — |
| 2 | Latin | praesidēns | sitting before or in front of |