English
prefect
Prefect comes from Old French prefect, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- ‘to do’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁-‘to do’root as named · steps between not traced
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400prefect
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1899same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁-‘to do’root as named · steps between not traced
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400prefect
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1899same form
Earliest quotation: 1899, Joseph Conrad, The Heart of Darkness: “Or think of a decent young citizen in a…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- ‘to do’
do, deal, hot, fact, fair, fan, fashion, mid, benefit, theme, defense, custom, feature, ethnic, sufficient, defence, ethical, treasury, thesis, aesthetic, treasure, synthetic, theology, doom, tick, deed, dis, feast, defendant, atheist, ethic, auditorium, auditor, atheism, demi, deem, spade, thematic, ethos, fanatic, 130 more
Today it means
noun An official of Ancient Rome who controlled or superintended a particular command, charge, department, etc.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- / prefect