Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “preobtain” come from?

preobtain (English) comes from English obtain, from Middle English obteinen, from Middle French obtenir, from Old French obtenir, from Latin obtineo, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

preobtain (English): To obtain beforehand

Definitions

  1. To obtain beforehand

Ancestry of “preobtain”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishobtainTo get hold of; to gain possession of, to...
2Middle Englishobteinen—
3Middle Frenchobtenirto obtain
4Old Frenchobtenirto obtain
5LatinobtineoI have, occupy, possess, hold; I preserve, keep,...
6Latinob-towards; against
7Latinobolusobolus
8Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
9Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
10Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
11Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
12Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →