Where does “prodigious” come from?
Prodigious comes from Middle French prodigieux, from Latin prodigiosus, derived from Latin prodigium, combining the prefix pro- with a root from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH-.
prodigious (English): Very big in size or quantity; gigantic; colossal;...
Definitions
- Very big in size or quantity; gigantic; colossal;...
Ancestry of “prodigious”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | prodigieux | — |
| 2 | Latin | prodigiosus | unnatural, strange; wonderful, marvellous,... |
| 3 | Latin | prodigium | omen, portent, prophetic sign; prodigy, wonder |
| 4 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |