Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “foreganger” come from?

foreganger (English) comes from Middle English forganger, from Old English foregangere, from Old English foregangan, from Proto-Germanic furaiganganą, from Proto-Germanic furai-, from Proto-Germanic furai, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European per- — passed , crossed.

foreganger (English): One who or that which goes before; a forerunner;...

Definitions

  1. One who or that which goes before; a forerunner;...

Ancestry of “foreganger”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishforganger—
2Old Englishforegangere—
3Old Englishforeganganto forego, go before, precede, rank higher than
4Proto-Germanicfuraiganganąto go before, in front; to precede
5Proto-Germanicfurai-before, in front of; fore-, pre-
6Proto-Germanicfuraibefore, in front of; before, in front
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
8Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →