Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “preach” come from?

Preach comes from Middle English prechen, from Latin praedicare meaning to proclaim or make known, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European deyḱ- meaning to show or point out.

preach (English): To give a sermon; To proclaim by public...

Definitions

  1. To give a sermon; To proclaim by public...

Ancestry of “preach”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishprechento preach
2Old Frenchprëechier—
3Latinpraedicō—
4Latindīcō—
5Latin-tiō—
6Latindissertātiō—
7Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
8Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
9Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
10Latincalceusshoe
11Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
12Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “preach”

  • preaching
  • preachy
  • preachment
  • preacheth
  • preachiness
  • preachest
  • preacht
  • preachable
  • preachee
  • outpreach
  • preachify
  • praught
  • nonpreaching
  • preachily
  • unpreachable
  • unpreach
  • nonpreachy
  • unpreachy
  • preachman
  • preachingly
  • preaçh
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →