Where does “preferment” come from?
Preferment comes from Middle French préférement, derived from Latin praeferre (to carry before), combining prae- (before) and ferre (to carry), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- (to bear or carry).
preferment (English): Prior claim (on payment, or on purchasing something); the first rights to obtain a particular payment or product
Definitions
- Prior claim (on payment, or on purchasing something); the first rights to obtain a particular payment or product
Ancestry of “preferment”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ferment | To react, using fermentation; especially to... |
| 2 | Middle French | ferment | — |
| 3 | Latin | fermentāre | — |
| 4 | Latin | fermentum | fermentation, leavening; yeast, ferment; anger,... |
| 5 | Latin | ferveō | to be hot |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | ferweō | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrewh₁- | to boil; to brew |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |