English
premortem
Premortem comes from Latin mors ‘death’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *mer- ‘to die’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mer-‘to die’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mértis‘death’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mortis‘death’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmorsas mortem‘death’
- Englishearliest quotation 1907premortem
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mer-‘to die’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mértis‘death’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mortis‘death’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmorsas mortem‘death’
- Englishearliest quotation 1907premortem
Earliest quotation: 1907, Barbara Baynton, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton): “Reappearing, tape-measure in hand, he went into the bedroom…”
Formed from pre- ‘before’ + mortem
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mer- ‘to die’
march, remember, murder, marine, nightmare, maritime, mere, marsh, mara, mare, muller, mortar, immortality, moor, morbid, ambrosia, morn, marinara, mortuary, maar, marinate, mortally, moribund, cormorant, mortier, 54 more
through Proto-Italic *mortis ‘death’
immortal, mortification, mortician, 6 more
through Latin mors ‘death’
Today it means
adj Before death.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mer- / premortem