Where does “prodrug” come from?
Prodrug comes from English pro- and drug, where drug derives from Middle French drogue, Middle Dutch droge, and Old Dutch drōgi, with pro- from Ancient Greek πρό, all ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots.
prodrug (English): A drug that is administered in an inactive form...
Definitions
- A drug that is administered in an inactive form...
Ancestry of “prodrug”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | drug | A substance used to treat an illness, relieve a... |
| 2 | Middle English | drogge | medicine |
| 3 | Middle French | drogue | drug |
| 4 | Old French | drogue | — |
| 5 | Old French | drocgue | — |
| 6 | Middle Dutch | drôge | dry |
| 7 | Old Dutch | drōgi | dry |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | *draugī | dry |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | draugiz | hard, solid; dry |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰerǵʰ- | to strengthen; to strengthen; become hard; to... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |