Etymograph

English

prominent

Prominent comes from Latin prōminēns ‘prominent, jutting out, projecting’, from prō ‘before, forward’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pró ‘toward’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pró‘toward’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*prō‘in front of, before’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprō‘before, forward’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōmineō‘jut out, to project’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōminēns‘prominent, jutting out, projecting’present active participle of prōmineō
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentprominent
  7. Englishearliest quotation 2019prominent

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pró‘toward’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*prō‘in front of, before’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprō‘before, forward’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōmineō‘jut out, to project’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōminēns‘prominent, jutting out, projecting’present active participle of prōmineō
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentprominent
  7. Englishearliest quotation 2019prominent

Earliest quotation: 2019, Leona Toker, Gulag Literature and the Literature of Nazi Camps: “[…] dynamics that replaced the erstwhile condemnation of all…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pró ‘toward’

prior, proton, prolactin, 10 more

through Latin prō ‘before, forward’

pro, prone, 5 more

through Latin prōmineō ‘jut out, to project’

promontory, 1 more

Today it means

adj Standing out, or projecting; jutting; protuberant.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pró / prominent

Shirt and support for this word