Where does “predetermine” come from?
Predetermine comes from Middle English determinen, influenced by the Latin prefix prae- meaning "before," ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European roots expressing forward motion or priority.
predetermine (English): To determine or decide in advance; To doom by...
Definitions
- To determine or decide in advance; To doom by...
Ancestry of “predetermine”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | praedetermino | I fix beforehand; I predetermine |
| 2 | Latin | dēterminō | to delimit set bounds to |
| 3 | Latin | terminō | to mark off by boundaries, set bounds to; bound, limit |
| 4 | Latin | Terminus | the deity presiding over boundaries; a personification of the term terminus |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ter- | tender, weak; young creature |
| 6 | Italian | termine | end, close; limit, term, date, time; term, word |
| 7 | Latin | terminus | a boundary, limit, end |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | termenos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | térmn̥ | boundary, end |