prescient

Where does the word "prescient" come from? It comes from Latin prae, passing through Latin before entering English (1620s).

Prescient’s story begins in Latin: prae meant “before.” Before, combined with sciens (knowing, from scire, to know). Within Latin, it grew into praesciens by ancient. Knowing beforehand, from prae- (before) and sciens (knowing). It reached English by 1620s as prescient. Settled as the English word for having knowledge of events before they happen. Today, prescient means having knowledge or insight into events before they happen.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient prae "before", before, combined with sciens (knowing, from scire, to know).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient praesciens "knowing beforehand", knowing beforehand, from prae- (before) and sciens (knowing).
3. Stage 3 · English · 1620s prescient "having knowledge of events before they happen", settled as the English word for having knowledge of events before they happen.