Etymograph

English

prerogative

Prerogative comes from Latin praerogātīva ‘previous verdict’, from praerogātīvus ‘having first vote’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- ‘to ask’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*preḱ-‘to ask’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*prokosreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprocus‘wooer, suitor’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprocō‘to ask, urge, demand’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErogō‘ask’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraerogō‘to ask first’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraerogātīvus‘having first vote’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraerogātīva‘previous verdict’noun use of feminine singular of praerogātīvus
  9. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400prerogative
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1776prerogative

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*preḱ-‘to ask’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*prokosreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprocus‘wooer, suitor’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprocō‘to ask, urge, demand’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErogō‘ask’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraerogō‘to ask first’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraerogātīvus‘having first vote’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraerogātīva‘previous verdict’noun use of feminine singular of praerogātīvus
  9. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400prerogative
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1776prerogative

Earliest quotation: 1776, Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: “The military fame of a subject was considered as…”

The story

From Anglo-Norman prerogative (noun), from Latin praerogātīva (‘previous verdict; claim, privilege’), noun use of the feminine singular of praerogātīvus (‘having first vote; privileged’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- ‘to ask’

pray, precarious, postulate, deprecation, 27 more

through Latin rogō ‘ask’

rogue, arrogant, arrogance, interrogation, derogatory, derogation, 14 more

Today it means

noun A right, especially when due to one's position or role.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- / prerogative

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