Where does “prerequisite” come from?
Prerequisite comes from Latin praerequisitus, combining prae- "before" with requisitus "required," from the Proto-Indo-European root wert- meaning "to turn."
prerequisite (English): Required as a prior condition of something else;...
Definitions
- Required as a prior condition of something else;...
Ancestry of “prerequisite”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | requisite | Essential, indispensable, required; An... |
| 2 | Latin | requīsītus | required, needed |
| 3 | Latin | requīrō | to look after, seek or search for; seek to know, ask or inquire after |
| 4 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 5 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 6 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |