Where does “preliminary” come from?
Preliminary comes from French préliminaire, meaning introductory or preceding in order.
preliminary (English): In preparation for the main matter; initial,...
Definitions
- In preparation for the main matter; initial,...
Ancestry of “preliminary”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | New Latin | praelīmināris | — |
| 2 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | prai- | — |
| 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 |
Words derived from “preliminary”