*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of pro-

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *próder. Proto-Italic *prō Latin prōder. English pro- Derived from Latin p

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
prefix

agreeing with; supporting; favouring · substituting for

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *próder. Proto-Italic *prō Latin prōder. English pro- Derived from Latin prō (“in favor of, on behalf of”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":der",
        "3": "la:prō<t:in favor of, on behalf of>",
        "id": "promoting",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *pér\nProto-Indo-European *-o\nProto-Indo-European *próder.\nProto-Italic *prō\nLatin prōder.\nEnglish pro-\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"in favor of, on behalf of\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"before\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"fare\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*pér\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-o\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*pró\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*prō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"prō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"pro-\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"promoting\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"pro-\" id=\"English:_promoting\">\nDerived from Latin prō (“in favor of, on behalf of”)."
    },
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      },
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*per-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/per-#Proto-Indo-European:_before"
    ],
    [
      "*per-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/per-#Proto-Indo-European:_fare"
    ],
    [
      "*pér",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/pér"
    ],
    [
      "*-o",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-o"
    ],
    [
      "*pró",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/pró"
    ],
    [
      "*prō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/prō"
    ],
    [
      "prō",
      "pro#Latin"
    ],
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      "prō",
      "pro#Latin"
    ]
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
prefix

forward movement

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *pró Proto-Indo-European *pro- Proto-Italic *pro- Latin prō-lbor. English pro- Learned borrowing from Latin prō- (“forward direction, forward movement”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":lbor",
        "3": "la:prō-<id:forward><t:forward direction, forward movement>",
        "id": "forward movement",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *pér\nProto-Indo-European *-o\nProto-Indo-European *pró\nProto-Indo-European *pro-\nProto-Italic *pro-\nLatin prō-lbor.\nEnglish pro-\n[Appendix:Glossary#learned_borrowing|Learned borrowing]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"forward\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"forward\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"before\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"fare\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*pér\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-o\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*pró\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*pro-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*pro-\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"prō-\", \"gloss\" : \"forward direction, forward movement\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"lbor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"pro-\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"forward movement\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"pro-\" id=\"English:_forward_movement\">\nLearned borrowing from Latin prō- (“forward direction, forward movement”)."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":lbor",
        "3": "la:prō-<id:forward><t:forward direction, forward movement>",
        "id": "forward movement",
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        "text": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *pér\nProto-Indo-European *-o\nProto-Indo-European *pró\nProto-Indo-European *pro-\nProto-Italic *pro-\nLatin prō-lbor.\nEnglish pro-\nLearned borrowing from Latin prō- (“forward direction, forward movement”)."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*per-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/per-#Proto-Indo-European:_before"
    ],
    [
      "*per-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/per-#Proto-Indo-European:_fare"
    ],
    [
      "*pér",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/pér"
    ],
    [
      "*-o",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-o"
    ],
    [
      "*pró",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/pró"
    ],
    [
      "*pro-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/pro-"
    ],
    [
      "*pro-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/pro-#Proto-Italic:_forward"
    ],
    [
      "prō-",
      "pro-#Latin:_forward"
    ],
    [
      "prō-",
      "pro-#Latin:_forward"
    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
prefix

earlier; prior · precursor (molecule) · rudimentary · in front of

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *próder. Ancient Greek πρό (pró)der. English pro- Derived from Ancient Greek πρό (pró, “before”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":der",
        "3": "grc:πρό<id:before><t:before>",
        "id": "before",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *pér\nProto-Indo-European *-o\nProto-Indo-European *próder.\nAncient Greek πρό (pró)der.\nEnglish pro-\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"before\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"toward\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"before\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"fare\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*pér\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-o\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*pró\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"πρό\", \"gloss\" : \"before\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"pro-\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"before\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"pro-\" id=\"English:_before\">\nDerived from Ancient Greek πρό (pró, “before”)."
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    ],
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    ],
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    ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for pro- →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-cHJvLQ