precis

Where does the word "precis" come from? It comes from Latin praecidere, passing through French before entering English (1760).

Precis’s story begins in Latin: praecidere meant “to cut off, abridge.” Prae- 'before' plus caedere 'to cut'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in French as precis. The past participle precis described something cut short or condensed. It reached English by 1760 as precis. Borrowed as a noun for a condensed written summary. Today, precis means a concise summary of the essential points of a text.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient praecidere "to cut off, abridge", prae- 'before' plus caedere 'to cut'.
2. Stage 2 · French · medieval precis "cut short, condensed", the past participle precis described something cut short or condensed.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1760 precis "a concise statement or abstract", borrowed as a noun for a condensed written summary.