"P" Word Origins

prentice

Middle English

A worn-down Middle English form of apprentice.

prenup

Origin

A shortened form of prenuptial (agreement).

prenuptial

Latin

From pre- ("before") plus nuptial ("relating to marriage").

preoccupancy

Origin

From pre- + occupancy. See preoccupate.

preoccupation

Latin

From Middle French préoccupation, from Latin praeoccupatio, built from pre- plus occupation.

preoccupy

Origin

From pre- + occupy, after Middle French preoccuper, and its source, Latin praeoccupo, praeoccupare. Doublet of preoccupate, now obsolete.

preparation

Latin

From Middle French preparacion, from Latin praeparatio, built from prepare plus -ation.

preparatory

Late Latin

From Late Latin praeparatorius, built from prepare plus -atory.

prepare

Latin

Partly a back-formation from preparation, and partly borrowed from Middle French préparer, from Latin praeparare ("to make ready in advance"), from prae- ("before") plus parare ("to make ready").

prepared

Origin

From prepare plus the adjective-forming suffix -ed.

preparedness

Origin

From prepared plus the noun-forming suffix -ness.

preponderate

Origin

From Latin praeponderatus, past participle of praeponderāre (“to outweigh”).

prepone

Origin

Blend of pre- + postpone, 1913.

preposition

Latin

From Latin praepositio "a placing before", from praeponere "to put in front", from prae- "before" + ponere "to place".

prepositus

Origin

From Medieval Latin prepositus, variant of praepositus (“[one] placed in charge”). Doublet of provost.

prepossessing

Origin

From prepossess + -ing. Attested in 1610s with the meaning of "getting possession of (ground or land) beforehand". The meaning "to possess (a person) beforehand with a feeling, notion, etc." developed in 1630s, acquiring by the 40s of the same century the meaning of "to cause (someone) to have a favorable opinion of something, preoccupy the mind or heart of".

preposterous

Latin

From Latin praeposterus, literally "with the back part before" — combining prae- ("before") and posterus ("coming after"), describing something back-to-front or upside down.

prepper

Origin

From prep (“prep school”) + -er.

preppy

Origin

Built from "prep" (short for preparatory school) plus the adjective-forming suffix "-y".

prepuce

Origin

From Middle English prepuce, prepuse, from Old French prepuce (“foreskin”), from Latin praepūtium (“prepuce, foreskin”), a combination of prae- (“fore-”) + Old Latin pūtos (“penis”).

prequel

English

A blend of the prefix pre- "before" and sequel.

prerenal

Origin

Borrowed from New Latin praerēnālis and equal to pre- + renal.

prerequisite

Latin

From Latin prae- ("before") plus "requisite" ("required") — literally, "required beforehand."

prerogative

Latin

From Latin praerogativa, originally "the group asked to vote first" in the Roman assembly — later came to mean any special right or privilege.

Pres

Origin

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

presage

Origin

From Middle English presage, from Latin praesāgium.

presageful

Origin

From presage + -ful.

presbyterian

Greek

From "presbyter" (an elder in the early church), from Greek presbyteros, "older man."

preschool

Origin

From "pre-" ("before") plus "school."

preschooler

Origin

From preschool + -er.

prescient

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin praesciēns (“foreknowing; foretelling, predicting”), present participle of) Latin praesciō (“to foreknow”), from prae- (prefix meaning ‘before; in front’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- (“before; in front”)) + sciō (“to know, understand; to have knowledge of”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to dissect; to split”)). The word is cognate with Middle French prescient (modern French prescient (“prescient”)), Italian presciente (“prescient”). By surface analysis, pre- (“earlier in time, beforehand”) + scient (“knowing, aware”).

prescribe

Latin

From Latin praescribere, "to write before" — from prae- ("before") and scribere ("to write").

prescription

Latin

From Latin praescriptio, "something written beforehand," from prae- ("before") and scribere ("to write").

prescriptionist

Origin

From prescription + -ist.

prescriptive

Origin

From Latin praescriptivus (“relating to a legal exception”), from praescript- (“directed in writing”), from the verb praescribere.

presence

Latin

From Old French presence, from Latin praesentia, "a being present."

present

Latin

From Latin praesens, "being before" (in front of, at hand), from prae- ("before") and esse ("to be").

presentable

French

From French presentable, built on "present" plus the suffix "-able."

presentation

Latin

From Old French presentation, from Latin praesentatio, "a showing" or "exhibition."

presentiment

Origin

From French pressentiment, from Middle French, equivalent to pre- + sentiment.

presently

Middle English

From Middle English presently; equivalent to present + -ly.

preservation

Old French

From Old French preservacion, ultimately from "preserve" plus "-ation."

preservative

Origin

From Old French preservatif, from Medieval Latin praeservativus.

preserve

Latin

From Old French preserver, ultimately from Latin prae- ("before") and servare ("to keep, guard") — literally "to guard beforehand."

preside

Latin

From Latin praesidere, "to sit in front of, guard, superintend," from prae- ("before") and sedere ("to sit").

presidency

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin praesidentia, built on "president" plus "-cy."

president

Latin

From Latin praesidens, "one presiding," the present participle of praesideo, "to preside over," from prae- ("before") and sedeo ("to sit").

presidente

Spanish

Borrowed directly from Spanish presidente, "president."