Where does “protectorate” come from?

Protectorate comes from English protector with the Latin suffix -atus, derived from Latin protego meaning to shield or guard, from pro- meaning before and a root related to Proto-Indo-European bʰuH-.

protectorate (English): Government by a protector; especially, the...

Definitions

  1. Government by a protector; especially, the...

Ancestry of “protectorate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishprotectorSomeone who protects or guards, by assignment or...
2Middle Englishprotectour
3Anglo-Normanprotectourprotector
4Latinprōtectorprotector (all senses)
5Latinprōtegōto cover
6Latinprōfor
7Latinratusconsidered, having been considered; established,...
8Latinrēōrto reckon, calculate
9Proto-Italicrēōrto reckon, to calculate; to think, to deem, to...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂reh₁-to think, reason; to arrange
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂er-to fit, to fix, to put together
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂er-