Where does “prescriptive” come from?
Prescriptive comes from Latin praescriptivus, derived from praescribere meaning to write beforehand, from scribere to write and prae before, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European preh₂- to grasp or seize.
prescriptive (English): Of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining,...
Definitions
- Of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining,...
Ancestry of “prescriptive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | praescriptivus | relating to a legal exception |
| 2 | Latin | praescript- | directed in writing |
| 3 | Latin | praescribere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 4 | Latin | praescribo | I write in front; I prefix; I order, appoint,... |
| 5 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |