Where does “proto-” come from?
proto- (English) comes from Ancient Greek πρωτο-, from Ancient Greek πρῶτος, from Ancient Greek πρό, from Proto-Indo-European pró, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
proto- (English): first; most recent common ancestor of; Relating...
Definitions
- first; most recent common ancestor of; Relating...
Ancestry of “proto-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | πρωτο- | first, primary |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | πρῶτος | first; earliest; foremost, most prominent |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | πρό | before; before, in front, forth, forward; before,... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | pró | toward, leading to |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |