Where does “prey” come from?
Prey comes from Middle English preye, from Old French preie, from Latin praeda meaning "plunder" or "booty," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʰed- meaning "to seize."
prey (English): Anything, such as goods, etc., taken or got by...
Definitions
- Anything, such as goods, etc., taken or got by...
Ancestry of “prey”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | preye | — |
| 2 | Old French | proie | Alternative form of preie |
| 3 | Latin | praeda | plunder, spoils of war, booty; prey, game taken... |
| 4 | Latin | praeheda | — |
| 5 | Latin | prae | before; in front; in front of |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | prai | before; in front of |
| 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 |