Where does “projectile” come from?
Projectile comes from Latin proiectilis, derived from Latin proiectus, the past participle of Latin proicio, combining Latin pro and Latin iacio, which traces to Proto-Indo-European pro- and Proto-Indo-European bʰuH-.
projectile (English): an object intended to be or having been fired...
Definitions
- an object intended to be or having been fired...
Ancestry of “projectile”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | prōiectilis | — |
| 2 | Latin | prōiectus | discharged, scattered |
| 3 | Latin | proicio | I throw, thrust, drive, fling or hurl forth,... |
| 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 |