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