Where does “prostate” come from?
Prostate comes from Late Latin prostāta, from Latin prō- (before) and stāta (feminine past participle of stāre, to stand), literally meaning something that stands before.
prostate (English): The prostate gland; Of or relating to the...
Definitions
- The prostate gland; Of or relating to the...
Ancestry of “prostate”, step by step
prostate traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English State
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | State | A current governing polity; The current governing... |
| 2 | Middle English | stat | condition |
| 3 | Old French | estat | state; government; condition |
| 4 | Latin | stātus | fixed, set, having been set |
| 5 | Latin | stō | to stand |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | staēō | stand |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sth₂éh₁yeti | to stand |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | *steh₂- | — |
via Middle French prostate
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | prostate | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | prostata | prostate |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | προστάτης | one who stands before, protector, guardian; one... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἵστημι | to make to stand, to stand, set; to stop, stay,... |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | hístāmi | to stand |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | stísteh₂ti | to be standing up, to be getting up |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |