Where does “preternatural” come from?
Preternatural derives from Latin praeter combined with nascor through the Latin suffix -alis, tracing to Proto-Indo-European per- and ǵenh₁-, meaning to go beyond nature or birth.
preternatural (English): Beyond or not conforming to what is natural or...
Definitions
- Beyond or not conforming to what is natural or...
Ancestry of “preternatural”, step by step
preternatural traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English natural
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | natural | That exists and evolved within the confines of an... |
| 2 | Middle English | natural | intrinsic, fundamental, basic; relating to... |
| 3 | Old French | natural | natural |
| 4 | Latin | nātūrālis | natural by birth, legitimate |
| 5 | Latin | nātūra | the nature, quality, substance or essence of a thing |
| 6 | Latin | nātus | born, arisen, made |
| 7 | Latin | gnātus | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | gnātos | born |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵn̥h₁tós | begotten, produced |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |
via Latin preternaturalis
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | preternaturalis | — |