Where does “pre” come from?

Pre derives from Latin prae, from Proto-Italic prai, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- and pr̥tós.

pre (English): Before; Precum, Cowper's fluid, pre-ejaculate; To...

Definitions

  1. Before; Precum, Cowper's fluid, pre-ejaculate; To...

Ancestry of “pre”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinpraebefore; in front; in front of
2Proto-Italicpraibefore; in front of
3Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
4Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “pre”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →