Where does “anterior” come from?
Anterior comes from Latin anterior, derived from Latin ante meaning "before," which traces to Proto-Indo-European h₂énti, ultimately from the root h₂en- meaning "in" or "within."
anterior (English): Before in place; Before or earlier in time; prior...
Definitions
- Before in place; Before or earlier in time; prior...
Ancestry of “anterior”, step by step
anterior traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin ante
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | ante | before, in front, forwards; before; before,... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | κλίσις | bending, inclination; a lying down; a place for... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | -σῐς | "suffix forming nouns" |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -τις | retained after dentals |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |