Where does “preoccupant” come from?
preoccupant (English) comes from English occupant, from Latin occupans, from Latin occupō, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, from Ancient Greek ὀβελός, from Ancient Greek βέλος — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.
preoccupant (English): A prior occupant
Definitions
- A prior occupant
Ancestry of “preoccupant”, step by step
preoccupant traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English occupant
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | occupant | A person who occupies an office or a position; A... |
| 2 | Latin | occupans | occupying, filling, taking up; seizing, invading,... |
| 3 | Latin | occupō | to occupy, fill, take up |
| 4 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 5 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |
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 |