Where does “provost” come from?
Provost comes from Old English profost, from Late Latin propositus, from Latin praepositus meaning "placed in charge," derived from pono meaning "to place."
provost (English): One placed in charge: a head, a chief,...
Definitions
- One placed in charge: a head, a chief,...
Ancestry of “provost”, step by step
provost traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Propst
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Propst | provost |
| 2 | Latin | prōpositus | set forth |
| 3 | Latin | praepositus | placed in front; placed in command; One placed in... |
| 4 | Latin | praepōnō | to place or set over as chief, commander, or superintendent; to place at the head of or entrust with the charge or command of; to appoint or depute as |
| 5 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Old English profost
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | profost | officer |
| 2 | Late Latin | propositus | set forth; declared; proposed |