Where does “preeminent” come from?
Preeminent derives from French prééminent, from Latin praeminens meaning "standing out before others," the present participle of praeminēre.
preeminent (English): Exceeding others in quality or rank; of...
Definitions
- Exceeding others in quality or rank; of...
Ancestry of “preeminent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | praeēminēns | — |
| 2 | Latin | praeemineo | I project forward; I am prominent; I surpass,... |
| 3 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | prai- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
Words derived from “preeminent”