English
ultra-
Ultra- comes from Latin ultrā ‘beyond’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to grow, nourish’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ol-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEūls‘beyond’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEultrā‘beyond’
- Englishearliest quotation 2013ultra-
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to grow, nourish’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ol-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEūls‘beyond’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEultrā‘beyond’
- Englishearliest quotation 2013ultra-
Earliest quotation: 2013, George Monbiot, Money just makes the rich suffer: “In order to grant the rich these pleasures, the…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’
as, all, old, else, el, element, alien, adult, ultimate, elder, ellen, alternate, alumni, qualification, alter, ou, altitude, alpine, adolescent, altar, abolish, alt, alias, alum, alto, alibi, retaliate, alimony, alp, proletariat, parallax, auld, coalesce, foetal, altruism, ulterior, aad, eld, exalt, althea, 67 more
through Latin ultrā ‘beyond’
Today it means
prefix Greater than normal quantity or importance, as in ultrasecret.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- / ultra-