Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Princeton” come from?

Princeton derives from English prince combined with Old French prince, Latin princeps meaning "first" or "chief," and Latin capio meaning "to take" or "to seize," referring to one who takes or holds the first position.

Ancestry of “Princeton”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtonA unit of weight equal to 2240 pounds or 2000...
2FrenchtonYour, thy; Tone; Tone, shade
3Old Frenchtonyour
4Latintuusyour
5Russianтузace; bigwig; two-oar dinghy
6Polishtuzace; luminary, person of importance in their...
7Polishtuhere
8Polishbyćto be
9Polishmócto be able; may, might; to be allowed
10Old Polishmóc—
11Proto-Slavicmoťьpower
12Proto-Indo-Europeanmógʰtis—
13Proto-Indo-Europeanmeǵʰ-—

Words derived from “Princeton”

  • Princetonian
Every word from Proto-Indo-European meǵʰ- →