English
priority
Priority comes from Old French priorite, from Latin priōritās ‘precedence’, from prior ‘former’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprior‘former’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpriōritās‘precedence’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400priorite
- Englishearliest quotation 1608priority
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprior‘former’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpriōritās‘precedence’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400priorite
- Englishearliest quotation 1608priority
Earliest quotation: 1608, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Coriolanus: “Follow Cominius. We must follow you. / Right worthy…”
Formed from prior + -ity
Proto-Indo-European *pró ‘forwards, before’
Proto-Italic *pri ‘before’
Proto-Italic *priōs ‘former, earlier’
Latin prior ‘earlier, former’
English prior
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *pri ‘before’
Today it means
noun An item's relative importance.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin prior / priority