Where does “pregnant” come from?
Pregnant derives from Middle English preignant, from Old French preignant, from Latin premere and premo, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- meaning to press or bear.
pregnant (English): Carrying developing offspring within the body;...
Definitions
- Carrying developing offspring within the body;...
Ancestry of “pregnant”, step by step
pregnant traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English preignant
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | preignant | — |
| 2 | Old French | preignant | — |
| 3 | Latin | praegnans | Alternative form of praegnās; pregnant |
| 4 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |