English
prefigation
Prefigation comes from Latin praefīgō ‘to attach in front’, from fīgō ‘to fasten’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- ‘to plant’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeygʷ-‘to plant’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*feigʷō‘to fasten’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfīvō‘Old Latin form of fīgō (“to fasten”)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfīgō‘to fasten’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraefīgō‘to attach in front’
- Englishearliest quotation 1974prefigation
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeygʷ-‘to plant’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*feigʷō‘to fasten’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfīvō‘Old Latin form of fīgō (“to fasten”)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfīgō‘to fasten’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraefīgō‘to attach in front’
- Englishearliest quotation 1974prefigation
Earliest quotation: 1974, JEGP: “Despite this, however, the OHG Benedictine Rule can be…”
Formed from Latin praefīgō (“to attach in front”) + -ation
The story
The formation on the Latin present stem is unusual; perhaps originally an innovation in German.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- ‘to plant’
final, fine, finish, dig, infinite, definition, ditch, infinity, finite, fin, dyke, financier, dike, infinitive, fino, finis, finial, 22 more
through Latin fīvō ‘Old Latin form of fīgō (“to fasten”)’
through Latin fīgō ‘to fasten’
Today it means
noun Synonym of prefixation.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- / prefigation