Where does “nonpareil” come from?
nonpareil (English) comes from Middle French nonpareil, from Middle French pareil, from Latin pariculus, from Latin pār, from Proto-Indo-European perH-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
nonpareil (English): Unequalled, unrivalled; unique; A person or thing...
Definitions
- Unequalled, unrivalled; unique; A person or thing...
Ancestry of “nonpareil”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | nonpareil | unparallelled; unprecedented |
| 2 | Middle French | pareil | — |
| 3 | Latin | pariculus | kindred, similar |
| 4 | Latin | pār | even (of a number) |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | perH- | to fly; fore, first; exchange |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |