Where does “propagator” come from?
Propagator comes from Latin propagator, an agent noun from propagatus, past participle of propago, meaning to extend or reproduce, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots expressing forward motion and growth.
propagator (English): A person who disseminates news or rumour; A...
Definitions
- A person who disseminates news or rumour; A...
Ancestry of “propagator”, step by step
propagator traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English propagate
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | propagate | To cause to continue or multiply by generation,... |
| 2 | Latin | propagatus | propagated |
| 3 | Latin | propago | I propagate; I extend, enlarge, increase; set,... |
| 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 |
via English ‐or
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ‐or | Creates an agent noun, often from a verb, indicating a person or object (often machines or parts of them) that do the verb or part of speech with which they are formed |
| 2 | Middle English | -our | — |
| 3 | Old French | -eor | Alternative form of -or |
| 4 | Latin | -ator | -ator, -er; second-person singular future passive... |
| 5 | Latin | -tor | -er |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -tōr | Forms agent nouns to verb stems |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tōr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tor-s | — |