Where does “present” come from?
Present comes from Middle English presenten, from Old French presenter, from Latin praesens meaning "being before or at hand," derived from the present participle of sum meaning "to be."
present (English): Relating to now, for the time being; current;...
Definitions
- Relating to now, for the time being; current;...
Ancestry of “present”, step by step
present traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English present
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | present | — |
| 2 | Old French | present | gift; present; present |
| 3 | Latin | praesēns | present, immediate, at hand, existing |
| 4 | Latin | praeesse | present active infinitive of praesum; be in front... |
| 5 | Latin | praesum | I am before something; I preside or rule over; I... |
| 6 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English presend
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | presend | To send in advance |