"P" Word Origins

preemptive

Origin

From preempt plus the adjective-forming suffix -ive.

preen

Origin

From Middle English pren, from Old English prēon, from Proto-Germanic *preunaz (compare Icelandic prjónn (“pin, knitting-needle”), Danish pryne (“needle, eel-spear”)), of uncertain origin, but perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *brewn- (“protrusion, tip, edge”) (compare Lithuanian briaunà (“edge”), Albanian brez (“belt, girdle”)). Cognate with German Pfriem. The verb is from Middle English prenen, from pren (“a preen”), akin to German pfriemen.

Preeti

Sanskrit

From Sanskrit प्रीति (prīti, "love, affection").

preface

Medieval Latin

From Old French preface, from Medieval Latin prefatia, from classical Latin praefatio, \"a saying beforehand,\" from praefari, \"to speak in advance.\"

prefatory

Origin

From Medieval Latin *praefator + -ory (“agent”), from Medieval Latin prefatia (whence preface), for classical Latin praefatio (“a saying beforehand”) – see preface for details. Note that this is borrowed from Latin, not derived in English from preface, as in occasional misspelling *prefecatory.

prefect

Latin

From Latin praefectus, \"one placed in charge,\" from praeficere, \"to put in charge of.\"

prefectural

Origin

From prefecture plus the adjective-forming suffix -al.

prefecture

Latin

From Latin praefectura, formed from prefect plus -ure.

prefer

Latin

From Latin praeferre, \"to carry before, put first,\" from prae- (\"before\") plus ferre (\"to carry\").

preferable

French

From prefer plus the adjective-forming suffix -able, likely influenced by the French preferable.

preferably

Origin

From preferable plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

preference

Medieval Latin

From Middle French preference, from Medieval Latin preferentia — built from prefer plus -ence.

preferendum

Origin

Blend of preference + referendum.

preferential

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin preferentia plus the adjective-forming suffix -al.

preferment

Origin

From Middle English preferment, preferrement, prefferment; equivalent to prefer + -ment.

preferrer

Origin

From prefer + -er.

prefigure

Origin

From Middle English prefiguren, from Latin praefigurare, from figurare (“to shape, picture”).

prefix

Latin

From Latin praefigere "to fix in front", from prae- "before" + figere "to fasten".

prefrontal

Origin

From pre- ("before, in front of") plus frontal.

preggers

Origin

Shortening of pregnant + -ers.

preggie

Origin

From pregnant + -ie.

pregnancy

Origin

Formed from pregnant plus the noun-forming suffix -cy.

pregnant

Latin

From Old French preignant/pregnant, from Latin praegnans, built from prae- ("before") plus an old root meaning "to be born." It replaced the native Old English word bearneacen, literally "child-enlarged."

prego

Italian

Italian prego, literally "I pray", the first-person form of pregare "to pray, to beg", from Latin precari.

prehension

Origin

Borrowed from Latin prehensio, prehensionis. Doublet of prison.

prehistoric

Origin

From pre- ("before") plus historic.

prejudice

Latin

From Old French prejudice, from Latin praeiudicium ("a prior judgment or injury"), from prae- ("before") plus iudicium ("judgment").

prejudicial

Medieval Latin

From Old French prejudicial and Medieval Latin praeiudicialis, ultimately from the same Latin root as prejudice.

prejudicious

Origin

From prejudice + -ious.

prelate

Origin

From Old French prelat (French prélat), from Medieval Latin praelātus, perfect passive participle of praeferō (“to carry before, prefer, exceed”), see -ate (noun-forming suffix). Doublet of prefer. See also infer, relate and refer, delate and defer, as well as collate and confer among others.

prelector

Origin

From Latin praelēctor.

prelim

Origin

A shortened form of preliminary, originally Oxford University slang for a preliminary exam.

preliminary

New Latin

From New Latin praeliminaris, from prae- ("before") plus limen ("threshold").

prelude

Medieval Latin

From Middle French prélude, from Medieval Latin preludium, ultimately from Latin praeludere ("to play beforehand").

prem

Origin

From Premier League.

premarital

Origin

From pre- ("before") plus marital.

premature

Latin · 1440

From Latin praematurus, from prae- ("before") plus maturus ("ripe, mature"). First recorded in English around 1440.

prematurely

Origin

From premature plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

premedication

Origin

From pre- + medication.

premeditation

Latin

A learned borrowing from Latin praemeditatio.

premier

Latin

From Middle French premier ("first"), from Latin primarius — a doublet of the word primary.

premiere

French

From French première ("first").

premise

Medieval Latin

From Old French premisse, from Medieval Latin premissa ("set before"), from Latin praemittere ("to send before"), from prae- ("before") plus mittere ("to send").

premium

Latin

From Latin praemium ("prize, reward").

premonition

Latin

From Anglo-Norman premunition, from Ecclesiastical Latin praemonitio ("a forewarning"), from Latin praemoneo ("to warn beforehand"), from prae- ("before") plus moneo ("to warn") — the same root that gives us "monitor."

premortem

Origin

From pre- (“before”) + Latin mortem (accusative singular of mors (“death”)), after post mortem.

prenatal

Latin

From pre- ("before") plus natal ("relating to birth").

Prendergast

Origin

Possibly derived from a lost settlement in Flanders called Brontegeest, brought to England after the Norman Conquest.