Where does “provocateur” come from?
Provocateur comes from French provocateur, derived from Latin provocator (one who provokes), formed from the Latin agent suffix -tor and the verb provocare, built from the prefix pro- (forth) and Latin pro (before) ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European pro- and per- (forward, through).
provocateur (English): One who engages in provocative behavior; An...
Definitions
- One who engages in provocative behavior; An...
Ancestry of “provocateur”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | provocateur | provocative, inflammatory; provocateur, provoker;... |
| 2 | Latin | prōvocātor | challenger in combat |
| 3 | Latin | prōvocō | to call forth, summon |
| 4 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |