Where does “prudence” come from?
Prudence comes from Old French prudence, from Latin prudentia, derived from the prefix pro- and the root weyd- meaning "to see," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European weyd-.
prudence (English): The quality or state of being prudent; wisdom in...
Definitions
- The quality or state of being prudent; wisdom in...
Ancestry of “prudence”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | prudence | — |
| 2 | Old French | prudence | — |
| 3 | Latin | prūdentia | acquaintance, knowledge, skilfulness |
| 4 | Latin | prūdēns | wise, prudent |
| 5 | Latin | prōvidēns | foreseeing |
| 6 | Latin | prōvideō | to foresee |
| 7 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |