Etymograph

English

precoce

Precoce comes from French précoce ‘early, precocious’, from Proto-Italic *prai- ‘pre-, before’, and ultimately from *prai.

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*prai‘before’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*prai-‘pre-, before’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraecoquō
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraecox‘precocious’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentprécoce‘early, precocious’
  6. Englishtodayprecoce

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*prai‘before’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*prai-‘pre-, before’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraecoquō
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraecox‘precocious’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentprécoce‘early, precocious’
  6. Englishtodayprecoce

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- ‘before, in front’

for, first, premier, forbid, prairie, primer, primate, primacy, parasol, parley, portobello, 16 more

through Proto-Italic *prai ‘before’

pre, premonition, 7 more

through Proto-Italic *prai- ‘pre-, before’

prestigious, prefix, preface, preeminent, prescient, impregnate, precede, 5 more

Today it means

adj precocious

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Italic *prai / precoce

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