Where does “pro-” come from?

pro- (Proto-Indo-European) comes from Proto-Indo-European por-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.

pro- (Proto-Indo-European): toward, forward

Definitions

  1. toward, forward

Ancestry of “pro-”, step by step

pro- traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Proto-Indo-European por-

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
2Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
3Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

via Proto-Indo-European bʰuH-

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰuH-to become, grow, appear

via Proto-Indo-European per

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Indo-Europeanperaround; through

Words derived from “pro-”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →Every word from Proto-Indo-European per- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European por- →