Where does “precentor” come from?
Precentor comes from French précenteur, from Latin praecentor, one who sings before, ultimately from Latin cano meaning to sing and prae meaning before.
precentor (English): The person who leads songs or prayers in a...
Definitions
- The person who leads songs or prayers in a...
Ancestry of “precentor”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | précenteur | — |
| 2 | Latin | praecentor | — |
| 3 | Latin | praecino | I sing or play before; I predict, foretell |
| 4 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |