Where does “prodigy” come from?
Prodigy comes from Middle English prodige, from Latin prodigium, combining the Latin prefix pro- (meaning "before" or "forth") with a root from Proto-Indo-European per- or pr̥tós.
prodigy (English): An extraordinary thing seen as an omen; a...
Definitions
- An extraordinary thing seen as an omen; a...
Ancestry of “prodigy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | prodige | portent |
| 2 | Latin | prodigium | omen, portent, prophetic sign; prodigy, wonder |
| 3 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |