Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “praesens” come from?

praesens (Latin) comes from Latin praeesse, from Latin praesum, from Latin prae-, from Proto-Italic prai-, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.

Ancestry of “praesens”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinpraeessepresent active infinitive of praesum; be in front...
2LatinpraesumI am before something; I preside or rule over; I...
3Latinprae-before; in front; in charge
4Proto-Italicprai-—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
6Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →