Where does “priester” come from?
priester (Middle High German) comes from Old High German priestar, from Old French prestre, from Latin presbyter, from Ancient Greek πρεσβύτερος, from Ancient Greek πρέσβυς, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “priester”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | priestar | — |
| 2 | Old French | prestre | priest |
| 3 | Latin | presbyter | an elder, presbyter |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | πρεσβύτερος | older of two people; advanced in life, senior; a... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πρέσβυς | elderly, aged; old man; elder, chief, prince |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |