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Precis

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a concise summary of the essential points of a text

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

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