Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “protecting” come from?

Protecting derives from Latin protectus, past participle of protego meaning to cover or guard, formed from pro meaning before or forward and a root related to Proto-Indo-European per- meaning to lead or pass.

protecting (English): Present participle and gerund of protect

Definitions

  1. Present participle and gerund of protect

Ancestry of “protecting”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishprotectTo keep safe; to defend; to guard; to prevent...
2Frenchprotectionprotection
3Italianprotezioneprotection
4Spanishprotecciónprotection
5Late Latinprotectioa covering over; protection; shelter
6Latinprōtēctus—
7Latinprotegeresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
8Latinprō-—
9Proto-Italic*pro-—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
12Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
13Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “protecting”

  • protectingly
  • neuroprotecting
  • cytoprotecting
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →