Where does “predatory” come from?
Predatory comes from Latin praedatorius, derived from praedator (one who plunders), from praeda (plunder), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʰed- (to seize).
predatory (English): Of, or relating to a predator; Living by preying...
Definitions
- Of, or relating to a predator; Living by preying...
Ancestry of “predatory”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | praedatorius | plundering piratical, rapacious, predatory |
| 2 | Latin | praedātor | — |
| 3 | Latin | praedor | I acquire loot, such as through robbery or war; I... |
| 4 | Latin | praeda | plunder, spoils of war, booty; prey, game taken... |
| 5 | Latin | praeheda | — |
| 6 | Latin | prae | before; in front; in front of |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | prai | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
Words derived from “predatory”