Where does “present” come from?
present (Old French) comes from Latin praesēns, 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.
present (Old French): gift; present; present
Ancestry of “present”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | praesēns | — |
| 2 | Latin | praeesse | present active infinitive of praesum; be in front... |
| 3 | Latin | praesum | I am before something; I preside or rule over; I... |
| 4 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | prai- | — |
| 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 |
Words derived from “present”