"P" Word Origins

prophet

Latin

From Latin propheta, from Greek prophētēs, literally "one who speaks for a god," from pro- ("before") + phēmi ("to speak").

prophetic

Latin

From Latin propheticus, from Greek prophētikos, from prophētēs ("prophet").

prophetize

Origin

From Middle English prophetise, from Old French prophetisier, from Latin prophētizō, from Ancient Greek προφητίζω (prophētízō, “to prophesy”). By surface analysis, prophet + -ize.

prophylactic

Origin

From Latin prophylacticus, from Ancient Greek προφυλακτικός (prophulaktikós, “prophylactic”).

prophylaxis

Origin

From Latin, from Ancient Greek πρό (pró, “before”) + φύλαξις (phúlaxis, “a watching, guarding”).

propinquitous

Origin

From propinquit(y) + -ous.

propinquity

Origin

From propinqu(ent) + -ity, from Middle English propinquite, from Middle French propinquité or Latin propinquitās, from propinquus (“neighbouring”) (from prop(e) (“near”) + (h)inc (“hence”) + -uus).

propitiate

Origin

From Latin propitiāt-, the past participial stem of propitiāre (“make favourable”), from propitius (“favourable, gracious”).

propitiation

Latin

From Latin propitiatio, from propitiare "to appease, make favourable", from propitius "favourable".

propitious

Origin

From Anglo-Norman and Old French propicius, from Latin propitius (“favorable, well-disposed, kind”). Compare French propice, Portuguese propício and Spanish propicio.

propofol

Origin

A chemical name formed by contracting "(diiso)prop(yl)ph(en)ol," describing its molecular structure.

proponent

Origin

From Latin prōpōnēns, present participle of prōpōnō (“to put forward; propose”).

proportion

Latin

From Old French proportion, from Latin proportio, from pro ("for, relative to") + portio ("share, part") — the same root as "portion."

proportionate

Origin

Borrowed from Latin prōportiōnātus, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix). By surface analysis, proportion + -ate.

proposal

Origin

From propose + -al, following the pattern of turning a verb into a noun for the thing proposed.

propose

Latin

From Middle English proposen, from Anglo-Norman proposer, from Latin proponere ("to put forward"). A doublet of "propound."

proposition

Latin

From Latin propositio, from the verb proponere ("to put forward"), the same root as "propose."

propound

Origin

From the Middle English proponen (“to put forward”), from Latin prōpōnere (“to put forward”), from prō- (“before”) + pōnere (“to put”). Doublet of propose. Compare expound.

proprietary

Latin

From French propriétaire, from Latin proprietarius, related to proprietas ("property, ownership").

proprietor

Origin

Likely from proprietary + -or, following the pattern of turning an adjective/noun of ownership into "the person who owns."

propriety

Latin

From late Middle English propretee ("ownership"), from Anglo-Norman propreté, ultimately from Latin proprietas. A doublet of "property" — the two words diverged over centuries, with "propriety" keeping the sense of correctness and "property" keeping the sense of ownership.

proprioceptive

Origin

Coined by English neurophysiologist Charles Sherrington in 1906, originally in the spelling proprio-ceptive, from proprius + clipped receptive.

props

Origin

A clipped form of "proper," from phrases like "proper respect" or "proper recognition," plus the plural -s.

propulsion

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin propulsio, from the Latin verb propello ("to drive forward").

prorated

Latin

Past participle of prorate, coined from the Latin phrase pro rata "according to the rate".

prorogation

Origin

From Anglo-Norman prorogation, Middle French prorogation, and their source, Latin prōrogātiō (“extension, postponement”).

prorogue

Origin

From Old French proroger, proroguer, from Latin prōrogō (“prolong, defer”).

prosaic

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin prosaicus ("in prose"), from Latin prosa ("prose"), ultimately from provorsus ("straightforward") — the sense shifted from "written in prose" to "plain and unpoetic" over time.

proscenium

Origin

From Latin proscaenium (“in front of the scenery”), from Ancient Greek προσκήνιον (proskḗnion), from πρό (pró, “before”) + σκηνή (skēnḗ, “scene building”).

prosciutto

Vulgar Latin

Borrowed from Italian prosciutto ("ham"), thought to derive from a Vulgar Latin word related to exsuctus ("dried out, sucked dry").

proscribe

Origin

From Middle English proscriben, from Latin prōscrībō (“to proclaim, forbid, banish”).

proscription

Origin

From Middle English proscripcion, from Latin prōscrīptiō, from prōscrībō (originally "publish in writing"), from prō- and scrībō (“write”).

prose

Latin

From Old French prose, from Latin prosa, short for prosa oratio ("straightforward speech"), meaning language without the patterns and ornament of verse.

prosecco

Origin

Borrowed from Italian prosecco, named after the area where the variety was grown, Prosecco near Trieste, in the Veneto region.

prosecute

Latin

From Latin prosecutus, the past participle of prosequor ("to follow, pursue"). A doublet of "pursue."

prosecution

Late Latin

From Late Latin prosecutio, from Latin prosequor ("to pursue"), the same root as "prosecute."

prosecutor

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin prosecutor, from prosequor ("to pursue"), the same Latin root behind "prosecute."

prosit

Origin

Borrowed from German prosit.

prosoma

Origin

From pro- (“front”) + soma (“body”), from Ancient Greek σῶμα (sôma, “body”).

prosopopoeia

Origin

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek προσωποποιία (prosōpopoiía, “dramatization, the putting of speeches into the mouths of characters”). By surface analysis, prosopo- + -poeia.

prospect

Latin

From Latin prospectus ("a view, outlook"), from prospicio ("to look forward"), from pro- ("forward") + specio ("to look"). A doublet of "prospectus."

prospective

Late Latin

From Late Latin prospectivus, related to prospect, meaning "looking forward."

prospector

Origin

From prospect + -or, "one who prospects."

prospectus

Latin

From French prospectus, borrowed directly from Latin prospectus. A doublet of "prospect."

prosper

Latin

From Old French prosperer, from Latin prospero ("to make happy/successful"), from prosperus ("favourable"), ultimately tied to the Latin spes ("hope").

prosperity

Latin

From Old French prosperitet, from Latin prosperitas, from prosper + -ity.

prosperous

Latin

From Old French prosperer, from Latin prosperare ("to cause to succeed"), from pro spere ("according to hope").

pross

Origin

Clipping of prostitute, with a doubled s as a pronunciation spelling (compare pros).