Where does “pre” come from?
pre (Spanish) comes from French Prêt, from French prêter, from Middle French preter, from Old French prester, from Latin praesto, from Latin prae-, from Proto-Italic prai-, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂- — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “pre”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | Prêt | ready |
| 2 | French | prêter | to lend; to lend itself to; to go along with |
| 3 | Middle French | preter | Alternative form of prester |
| 4 | Old French | prester | to borrow |
| 5 | Latin | praesto | present, at hand, ready; at hand, ready to help;... |
| 6 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |