Where does “priestess” come from?
Priestess comes from Middle English -esse, from Old French -esse, a feminine suffix added to priest, which derives from Latin presbyter, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- meaning to press or move forward.
priestess (English): A woman with religious duties and...
Definitions
- A woman with religious duties and...
Ancestry of “priestess”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ess | Suffix appended to words to make a female... |
| 2 | French | -esse | used to form nouns describing the condition of... |
| 3 | Italian | -essa | -ess |
| 4 | Portuguese | -esa | feminine singular of -ês |
| 5 | Spanish | -esa | feminine singular of -és |
| 6 | Spanish | -és | Forms nouns and adjectives of nationality;... |
| 7 | Spanish | política | politics; policy; female equivalent of político |
| 8 | Spanish | político | political; in-law; politician |
| 9 | Latin | polīticus | political, civil, of the state, relating to civil polity |
| 10 | Swedish | politisk | political, having to do with politics |
| 11 | Swedish | politik | politics |
| 12 | Ancient Greek | πολιτικός | civic, constitutional, public; social |
| 13 | Ancient Greek | πολῑ́της | citizen |
| 14 | Ancient Greek | πόλις | city; a whole country, as dependent on and called... |
| 15 | Proto-Hellenic | ptólis | city |
| 16 | Proto-Indo-European | tpólHis | — |
| 17 | Proto-Indo-European | tpelH- | fortification, city |