Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “antenatal” come from?

Antenatal derives from Latin ante (before) combined with Latin -alis (adjective suffix) and Latin nascor (to be born), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- (to produce or give birth).

antenatal (English): occurring or existing before birth

Definitions

  1. occurring or existing before birth

Ancestry of “antenatal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinantebefore, in front, forwards; before; before,...
2Ancient Greekκλίσιςbending, inclination; a lying down; a place for...
3Ancient Greek-σῐς"suffix forming nouns"
4Ancient Greek-τιςEarlier form of -σις , retained after dentals δ,...
5Proto-Indo-European-tisDerives abstract/action nouns from verb roots

Words derived from “antenatal”

  • antenatally
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tis →