Where does “pregnancy” come from?
Pregnancy derives from Middle English preignant, from Latin praegnans meaning heavy with child, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós meaning filled or full.
pregnancy (English): The condition of being pregnant; The period of...
Definitions
- The condition of being pregnant; The period of...
Ancestry of “pregnancy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pregnant | Carrying developing offspring within the body;... |
| 2 | Middle English | preignant | — |
| 3 | Old French | preignant | — |
| 4 | Latin | praegnans | Alternative form of praegnās; pregnant |
| 5 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |