Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. Able to take hold of and clasp objects; adapted...

Ancestry of “prehensile”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchpréhensileprehensile; having the ability to grip or to be...
2Latinprehēnsus—
3Latinprehendō—
4Proto-Italic*praiɣendō—
5Proto-Italicprai-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
7Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “prehensile”

  • prehensility
  • nonprehensile
  • prehensilely
  • subprehensile
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →