Where does “presto” come from?
presto (Italian) comes from Italian prestare, from Latin praesto, from Latin prae-, from Proto-Italic prai-, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
presto (Italian): ready; fast, quick, nimble; soon
Definitions
- ready; fast, quick, nimble; soon
Ancestry of “presto”, step by step
presto traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Italian prestare
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | prestare | to lend; to pay, to give |
| 2 | Latin | praesto | present, at hand, ready; at hand, ready to help;... |
| 3 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Late Latin praestus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | praestus | — |