Where does “preoccupy” come from?
Preoccupy derives from Middle English pre- and Latin prae- (before) combined with Latin capio (to seize), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p- (to seize).
preoccupy (English): To distract; to occupy or draw attention...
Definitions
- To distract; to occupy or draw attention...
Ancestry of “preoccupy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | occupy | To take or use; To take or use space; To have... |
| 2 | Middle English | occupien | — |
| 3 | Old French | occuper | — |
| 4 | Latin | occupāre | — |
| 5 | Latin | capiō | to take, to capture, to catch, to seize, to take captive, to storm |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kapiō | take |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kapjō | take, seize |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂pyéti | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |