Where does “pre-Roman” come from?

pre-Roman (English) comes from English pre, from Latin prae, from Proto-Italic prai, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.

pre-Roman (English): Prior to the rise of the Roman Empire

Definitions

  1. Prior to the rise of the Roman Empire

Ancestry of “pre-Roman”, step by step

pre-Roman traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English pre

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpreBefore; Precum, Cowper's fluid, pre-ejaculate; To...
2Latinpraebefore; in front; in front of
3Proto-Italicpraibefore; in front of
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
5Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

via English roman

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishromanupright, as opposed to italic; of or related to...
2Old FrenchRomainRoman
3LatinRōmānusRoman
4Latin-ānusOf or pertaining to; -ian
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós