Where does “preknowledge” come from?
preknowledge (English) comes from English knowledge, from Middle English knowleche, from Middle English knowen, from Old English cnāwan, from Proto-West Germanic knāan, from Proto-Germanic knēaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵneh₃- — to know.
preknowledge (English): prior knowledge
Definitions
- prior knowledge
Ancestry of “preknowledge”, step by step
preknowledge traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English knowledge
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | knowledge | The fact of knowing about something; general... |
| 2 | Middle English | knowleche | knowledge |
| 3 | Middle English | knowen | to know |
| 4 | Old English | cnāwan | to know, perceive, recognise; to know, recognise,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | knāan | to recognise, to know |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | knēaną | to know, recognise, understand |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵneh₃- | to know |
via English pre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pre | Before; Precum, Cowper's fluid, pre-ejaculate; To... |
| 2 | Latin | prae | before; in front; in front of |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | prai | before; in front of |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |