"P" Word Origins

province

Latin

From Anglo-Norman province, from Latin prōvincia, likely from prō- ("forward") plus vinciō ("to bind, tie.")

provincial

Latin

From Old French provincial, from Latin provincialis, "belonging to a province" — built from provincia plus the adjective ending -ial.

provincialism

Origin

From French provincialisme, equivalent to provincial + -ism.

proving

Old English

From Old English prōfung, formed from the verb prove plus the -ing ending.

provision

Latin

From Old French provision, from Latin provisio, "foresight, preparation" — from providere, "to see ahead, provide for."

provisional

Latin

From provision plus the adjective ending -al, echoing the older French provisionnel and Latin provisionalis.

provisioner

Origin

From provision + -er.

proviso

Origin

Borrowed from Latin proviso (“it being provided”), ablative singular neuter of provisus, past participle of providere (“to provide”); see provide.

Provo

Dutch

From Dutch Provo, shortened from provoceren (“to provoke”), from French provoquer.

provocateur

French

Borrowed directly from French provocateur, "one who provokes," from the verb provoquer.

provocation

Latin

From Old French provocacion, from Latin provocatio, from provocare, "to call forth, challenge" — the noun form of provoke.

provocative

Late Latin

From Middle French provocatif, from Late Latin provocativus, from Latin provocare, "to provoke."

provocator

Origin

Partly borrowed from Middle French provocateur and its etymon Latin prōvocātor, and partly from provocate + -or. Doublet of provocateur.

provoke

Latin

From Old French provoquer, from Latin provocare, "to call forth" — from pro- ("forth") plus vocare ("to call").

provolone

Italian

From Italian provolone, an augmentative (bigger version) of provola, an earlier type of cheese.

provost

Late Latin

From Old English profost, from Late Latin propositus/praepositus, "one placed in command" — via Anglo-Norman and Old French provost.

prow

Origin

From Middle French proue, proe, from Ligurian prua, proa, from Latin prōra, from Ancient Greek πρῷρα (prōîra).

prowess

Old French

From Old French proesce, "excellence, bravery," from preu, "brave, excellent" — related to English proud.

prowl

Middle English

From Middle English prollen, of uncertain origin.

prowler

Origin

From prowl plus the agent suffix -er, meaning "one who prowls."

proximal

Latin

From Latin proximus, the superlative form of prope, "near."

proximate

Origin

From Late Latin proximatus, past participle of proximare (“to draw near, approach”), from Latin proximus (“nearest”), superlative of prope (“near”).

proximity

Latin

From Latin proximitas, from proximus, "nearest" — related to proximal and approximate.

proxy

Latin

From Middle English procucie, a contraction of procuracie, ultimately from Latin procuratio, "management" — related to procure.

Pru

Origin

A shortening of "Prudential" or of the given name "Prudence."

prude

Old French

From French prude, from Old French prude/prod, "good, virtuous" — related to proud, but not related to prudent.

prudence

Latin

From Old French prudence, from Latin prudentia, a contraction of providentia, "foresight" — from providere, "to foresee, provide for."

prudent

Latin

From Old French prudent, from Latin prudens, a contraction of providens, "foreseeing" — related to providence.

prudential

Origin

From Latin prudentia + -al.

prudish

Origin

From prude plus the adjective ending -ish.

Prue

Origin

A diminutive of Prudence.

prune

Ancient Greek

From Old French prune, from Vulgar Latin *pruna, ultimately from Ancient Greek proumnon, "plum" — prune and plum are actually the same word, borrowed at different times.

pruning

Origin

From prune plus the -ing ending.

Prussia

New Latin

From New Latin Prussia, a name applied by medieval chroniclers to the region, of uncertain deeper origin, possibly linked to old Baltic words for the local peoples.

Prussian

Origin

From Prussia plus the adjective ending -an.

pry

Middle English

From Middle English prien, "to peer closely," of uncertain further origin.

PS

Latin

An abbreviation of Latin post scriptum, "written after".

PSA

English

An initialism of public service announcement.

psalm

Ancient Greek

From Old English psealm, reinforced by Old French psalme, ultimately from Ancient Greek psalmos, "a song sung to harp music."

psammon

Origin

From psammo- + -on, to be analogous to plankton.

pseud

Origin

Possible clipping of pseudointellectual. From Ancient Greek ψευδής (pseudḗs, “false, lying”).

pseudanthium

Origin

From pseudo- + Ancient Greek ἄνθος (ánthos) + -ium.

pseudo

Greek

From the Greek prefix pseudo-, from pseudes, "false, lying."

pseudoanemic

Origin

From pseudoanemia + -ic or pseudo- + anemic.

pseudoeffective

Origin

From pseudo- + effective.

pseudologist

Origin

From pseudologue + -ist.

pseudomoral

Origin

From pseudo- + moral.

pseudonym

Greek

From Greek pseudonymos, "falsely named" — from pseudes ("false") and onoma ("name").