Where does “premarital” come from?
Premarital derives from English pre- and marital, with marital coming from French marital and Latin maritālis, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to go or traverse.
premarital (English): Before marriage; before getting married
Definitions
- Before marriage; before getting married
Ancestry of “premarital”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | marital | Pertaining to marriage; Pertaining to a husband |
| 2 | Middle French | marital | — |
| 3 | Latin | maritalis | matrimonial, nuptial, marital, conjugal |
| 4 | Latin | marītus | marital, matrimonial, conjugal |
| 5 | Latin | mās | male |
| 6 | Proto-Nuristani | *māsa | moon |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | mā́Has | moon; month |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mḗh₁n̥s | moon; month |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₁- | to measure |