Where does “portent” come from?
Portent comes from Latin portentum, meaning an omen or prodigy, from portendere, to foretell, combining the prefix por- with tendere, to stretch or extend.
portent (English): Something that portends an event about to occur,...
Definitions
- Something that portends an event about to occur,...
Ancestry of “portent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | portentum | nominative neuter singular of portentus;... |
| 2 | Latin | portendo | I indicate, point out; I predict, foretell,... |
| 3 | Latin | por- | forth, forward, further, onward |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | por- | forth, forward |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |