Where does “precious” come from?
Precious comes from Middle English precious, from Old French precios, from Latin pretiosus meaning "of great value," derived from Latin pretium meaning "price" or "worth," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per-.
precious (English): Of high value or worth; Regarded with love or...
Definitions
- Of high value or worth; Regarded with love or...
Ancestry of “precious”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | precious | — |
| 2 | Old French | precios | valuable, costly, precious, beloved, also... |
| 3 | Latin | pretiōsus | valuable, precious |
| 4 | Latin | pretium | worth, price, value, cost; pay, hire, wage,... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | pretjom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |