Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “prepositional” come from?

Prepositional derives from Latin praepositio, combining prae- "before" and ponere "to place," ultimately tracing through Proto-Indo-European per- "forward" and dʰeh₁- "to place."

prepositional (English): Of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a...

Definitions

  1. Of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a...

Ancestry of “prepositional”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinpraepositiō—
2Latinpraepōnō—
3Latinprae-before; in front; in charge
4Proto-Italicprai-—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
6Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “prepositional”

  • prepositionally
  • nonprepositional
  • deprepositional
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →