Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “President” come from?

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

President (English): An honorific for the head of state of a republic;...

Definitions

  1. An honorific for the head of state of a republic;...

Ancestry of “President”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinpraesideoI sit before or in front of; I sit beforehand; I...
2Latinprae-before; in front; in charge
3Proto-Italicprai-—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
5Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →