Where does “prehensile” come from?
Prehensile comes from French préhensile, from Latin prehensus, the past participle of prehendo meaning to seize or grasp, combined with the Latin suffix -ilis.
prehensile (English): Able to take hold of and clasp objects; adapted...
Definitions
- Able to take hold of and clasp objects; adapted...
Ancestry of “prehensile”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | préhensile | prehensile; having the ability to grip or to be... |
| 2 | Latin | prehēnsus | seized, grasped, grabbed, taken, caught; having been seized, etc |
| 3 | Latin | prehendō | to lay hold of, seize, grasp, grab, snatch, take, catch |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | *praiɣendō | — |
| 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 |