Etymograph

English

proto-

Proto- comes from Ancient Greek πρῶτος ‘first’, from πρό ‘before’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pér ‘through’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pér‘through’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pró‘forwards, before’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*próreconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπρόpró‘before’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπρῶτοςprôtos‘first’superlative of πρό
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2007proto-

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pér‘through’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pró‘forwards, before’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*próreconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπρόpró‘before’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπρῶτοςprôtos‘first’superlative of πρό
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2007proto-

Earliest quotation: 2007, Lev Grossman, Lolcats Addendum: Where I Got the Story Wrong: “I had heard of Caturday when I wrote the…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per-

first, before, support, far, per, report, further, private, price, fear, opportunity, press, practice, port, primary, pre, afford, appreciate, prime, ford, forth, pregnant, prize, practical, parade, par, precious, interpretation, praise, ferry, privilege, pirate, fare, porch, pardon, primitive, prix, peril, interpreter, afar, 158 more

through Proto-Indo-European *pró ‘forwards, before’

prior, pro, prominent, 11 more

through Ancient Greek πρό ‘before’

prolactin, 8 more

Today it means

prefix An early, primitive stage of development.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pér / proto-

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