Where does “prospecting” come from?
Prospecting derives from English prospect, from Latin prospectus (past participle of prospicere, meaning to look forward), combining Latin pro- (forward) and specere (to look), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- and bʰuH-.
prospecting (English): present participle of prospect; The act of one...
Definitions
- present participle of prospect; The act of one...
Ancestry of “prospecting”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | prospect | The region which the eye overlooks at one time;... |
| 2 | German | Prospekt | brochure |
| 3 | Latin | prospectus | view, sight, prospect; panorama; watched or... |
| 4 | Latin | prospicio | I look far off; I see into the distance; I watch... |
| 5 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |