Where does “preponderance” come from?
Preponderance comes from Latin praepondero, formed from the prefix prae- meaning "before" and the root ponderare, ultimately descending through Proto-Italic prai and Proto-Indo-European preh₂- to the root per-.
preponderance (English): Excess or superiority of weight, influence, or...
Definitions
- Excess or superiority of weight, influence, or...
Ancestry of “preponderance”, step by step
preponderance traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English preponderant
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | preponderant | Having greater or the greatest weight, quantity,... |
| 2 | Latin | praeponderans | |
| 3 | Latin | praepondero | I preponderate |
| 4 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via French prépondérant
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | prépondérant | preponderant, overriding; dominant |