Where does “previous” come from?
Previous comes from Latin praevius, combining Latin via (way) with a root from Proto-Indo-European preh₂- (to grasp or seize), ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European per- and pr̥tós.
previous (English): Prior; occurring before something else, either in...
Definitions
- Prior; occurring before something else, either in...
Ancestry of “previous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | praevius | going before, leading the way |
| 2 | Latin | prae | before; in front; in front of |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | prai | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
Words derived from “previous”