English
protostate
From proto- + state.
Proto-Indo-European *pér ‘through’
Proto-Indo-European *pró ‘forwards, before’
Proto-Hellenic *pró
Ancient Greek πρό ‘before’
Ancient Greek πρῶτος ‘first’
English proto-
Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand’
…
Proto-Italic *status ‘setting up; position’
Latin status ‘state, condition, position’
Old French estat ‘state’
Middle English stat ‘condition’
English state
Today it means
noun An inchoate state; a geopolitical entity that might develop into a state.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / protostate