Where does “post” come from?
Post comes from Latin postis, meaning a stake or door-post, which developed into the modern English sense of a vertical support or position.
post (English): A long dowel or plank protruding from the ground;...
Definitions
- A long dowel or plank protruding from the ground;...
Ancestry of “post”, step by step
post traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French poste
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | poste | — |
| 2 | Italian | posta | mail, post; post office; stakes |
| 3 | Latin | probāre | — |
| 4 | Latin | probō | to approve, permit, commend |
| 5 | Latin | Probus | good, serviceable, excellent, superior, able |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pro-bhwo- | being in front, prominent |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Latin post
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 2 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |
via English post mortem
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | post mortem | Having been inflicted or having occurred after... |
| 2 | Latin | mortem | accusative singular of mors |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | mértis | death |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mer- | to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland |