Where does “prophetess” come from?
Prophetess comes from Middle English prophetesse, from Old French prophetesse, from Latin prophetissa, from Latin propheta, from Ancient Greek προφήτης, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pro- and bʰeh₂-.
prophetess (English): A female prophet
Definitions
- A female prophet
Ancestry of “prophetess”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | prophetesse | A female prophet; one who expounds upon a divine... |
| 2 | Old French | prophetesse | — |
| 3 | Latin | prophetissa | prophetess |
| 4 | Latin | prophēta | prophet, soothsayer |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | προφήτης | one who speaks for and interprets the will of a... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | φημί | I speak, say; I say yes, agree, affirm, assert |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | pʰā́mā | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂-meh₂ | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂- | to shine, glow light; to speak, say |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂-s-ri- | — |