Where does “precinct” come from?
precinct (Middle English) comes from Medieval Latin precinctum, from Latin praecinctum, from Latin praecingō, 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 “precinct”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | precinctum | — |
| 2 | Latin | praecinctum | nominative neuter singular of praecīnctus;... |
| 3 | Latin | praecingō | to gird about |
| 4 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |