Etymograph

English

present

Present comes from Old French present, from Latin praesēns ‘present’, participle of praesum ‘to be present’ (prae- + sum ‘to be’).

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsum‘to be’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraesum‘to be present, be in front of’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraesēns‘present’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400present
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsum‘to be’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraesum‘to be present, be in front of’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraesēns‘present’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400present
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604same form

Earliest quotation: c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure: “Sign me a present pardon for my brother”.

Linked words

through Latin esse ‘to be’

essence, ens, esse, 2 more

Another origin of present

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-‘to be, become, grow, appear’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰúHt‘to become’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ezom~*somreconstructed
  4. Archaic Latinc. 700–75 BCE𐌄𐌔𐌏𐌌esom
  5. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEesum
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsum‘to be, exist’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraesum‘to preside or rule over’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraesens
  9. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraesentōas praesentāre‘to show’
  10. Old Frenchc. 842–1400presenter‘to present’
  11. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500presenten
  12. Englishtodaypresent

Today it means

adj Relating to now, for the time being; current.

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

Etymograph / Latin sum / present

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