Where does “post” come from?
post (Middle Low German) comes from Middle French poste, from Italian posta, from Latin probāre, from Latin probō, from Latin Probus, from Proto-Indo-European pro-bhwo-, from Proto-Indo-European pro-, from Proto-Indo-European por- — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “post”, step by step
post traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French poste
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | poste | — |
| 2 | Italian | posta | mail, post; post office; stakes |
| 3 | Latin | probāre | — |
| 4 | Latin | probō | to approve, permit, commend |
| 5 | Latin | Probus | good, serviceable, excellent, superior, able |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pro-bhwo- | being in front, prominent |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |