"P" Word Origins

presidenthood

Origin

From president + -hood.

presidentship

Origin

From president + -ship.

Presley

Old English

A variant of the surname Priestley, from Old English preost ("priest") and leah ("clearing, meadow").

press

Latin

From Old French presser, "to press," from Latin pressare, based on premere, "to press."

pressman

Origin

A compound of "press" (printing press) and "man."

pressure

Latin

From Latin pressura, "a pressing, pressure," from premere, "to press."

prest

Origin

From Middle English prest, from Old French prest, deverbal from prester.

prestidigitator

Origin

Borrowed from French prestidigitateur.

prestige

Latin

From French prestige, originally meaning "illusion" or "trick," from Latin praestigium, "a delusion" — the sense shifted over time from "dazzling trick" to "impressive reputation."

prestigious

Latin

From Latin praestigiosus, "full of tricks" — the word originally meant deceptive or illusory before it softened into "impressively reputable."

presto

Italian

From Italian presto, "quickly."

Preston

Old English

From Old English prēost ("priest") + tūn ("settlement").

presumably

Origin

From presume + -ably, presumable + -ly.

presume

Latin

From Latin praesumere, "to take beforehand, to anticipate," from prae- ("before") + sumere ("to take").

presumption

Latin

From Old French presumption, from Latin praesumptio, related to praesumere ("to take beforehand").

presumptive

Origin

PIE word *upó From pre- + Latin sūmptus + -ive, from Late Middle English presumptif, presumptijf (“based on presumption”), from Anglo-Norman presumptif and Middle French presumptif, présomptif (“based on presumption; of an heir or heiress: presumed to be entitled to inherit unless someone with a superior entitlement is born; presumptuous”) (modern French présomptif), and directly from their etymon Late Latin praesumptivus (“based on presumption; bold; insolent”), from Latin praesūmptus (“presumed”) + -īvus (suffix forming adjectives). Praesūmptus is the perfect passive participle of praesūmō (“to presume”), from prae- (prefix meaning ‘before; in front’) + sūmō (“to seize, take; to accept, presuppose; to undertake”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to distribute; to take”)).

presumptuous

Latin

From Latin praesumptuosus, built on praesumere ("to take beforehand, to assume").

presuppose

Origin

From Middle French presupposer, from Latin praesuppōnō.

presupposition

Origin

From Middle French présupposition, from Latin praesuppositio, from the past participle stem of praesuppōnere (“to presuppose”).

pretend

Latin

From Latin praetendere, "to hold out in front, put forward as a cover" — from prae- ("before") + tendere ("to stretch").

pretender

Origin

From pretend + -er.

pretense

Late Latin

From Late Latin praetensus, past participle of Latin praetendere ("to pretend"), from prae- ("before") + tendere ("to stretch").

pretension

Origin

From Middle English pretencioun, pretensioun, from Medieval Latin prētēnsiō.

pretentious

Latin

From French prétentieux, ultimately from Latin praetendere ("to put forward, to claim"). Note the spelling with "t" rather than "s", unlike the related word "pretense".

preterite

Origin

From Middle English preterit, from Old French preterit (13th century), from Latin praeteritum (as in tempus praeteritum (“time past”)), the past participle of praetereō (“to go by, go past”), itself from praeter (“beyond, before, above, more than”) (comparative of prae (“before”)) + itum (the past participle of eō (“to go”)).

pretermit

Origin

From Latin praetermitto.

pretext

Latin

From Latin praetextum, "an ornament woven in front" — figuratively, a cover story, from praetexere ("to weave in front, to disguise").

prettify

Origin

From pretty + -fy.

pretty

Old English

From Old English prættig, "cunning, sly, tricky" — the sense shifted over time from "clever" to "attractive," similar to how "cute" developed.

pretzel

Latin

From German Brezel, ultimately from Latin brachium ("arm") — the shape is thought to resemble folded arms.

preussen

Origin

From German Preußen.

prevail

Latin

From Latin praevalere, "to be more able, to be superior," from prae- ("before") + valere ("to be strong or able").

prevailing

Origin

From prevail + -ing.

prevalence

Latin

From Latin praevalere meaning 'to have greater power or be stronger', from prae 'before' and valere 'to be strong'.

prevalent

Latin

From Latin praevalens, related to praevalere ("to be superior, to prevail").

prevaricate

Origin

Borrowed from Latin praevāricātus, perfect active participle of praevāricor (“to walk crookedly; to play a false or double part”), from prae- + vāricō (“to stand with feet apart, straddle”), from vāricus (“with feet spread apart”); see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

prevarication

Origin

Borrowed from Latin praevāricātiō (“collusion with an opponent; duplicity, deceit; violation of duty, transgression”, literally “stepping out of line”), from praevāricor (“to walk crookedly; go astray; transgress”) + -tās. The virtually obsolete sense of deviation or transgression may have been influenced by an earlier stage of borrowing via Middle English prevaricacioun, prevaricacion (“deviation from the law; transgression”) from Anglo-Norman prevaricaciun (“transgression, violation of correct conduct”).

prevaricator

Origin

From prevaricate + -or or Latin praevaricator: compare French prévaricateur.

prevene

Origin

From French prévenir, Latin praevenire. See prevent.

prevenient

Origin

From Latin praeveniēns

prevent

Latin

From Latin praevenire, "to come before, to anticipate," from prae- ("before") + venire ("to come").

preventer

Origin

From prevent + -er.

preventing

Latin

Present participle of prevent, from Latin praevenire "to come before, anticipate", from prae- "before" + venire "to come".

prevention

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin preventio, related to praevenire ("to anticipate, to come before").

preventive

New Latin

From New Latin praeventivus, from prevent + -ive.

preview

Origin

From pre- ("before") + view.

previous

Latin

From Latin praevius, "going before."

previously

Origin

From previous + -ly.