Etymology Map
Back to all words

Prone

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means likely to suffer; lying face down

Where does the word "prone" come from? It comes from Latin pronus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
pronus
Latin · ancient
"leaning forward"
possibly related to 'pro', forward
2
Stage 2 of 3
prone
Old French · medieval
"lying face down"
in English it first meant naturally inclined, around 1400; the sense 'face down' only appears in the 1570s
3
Stage 3 of 3
prone
English · 1300s
"lying face down"
'accident-prone' dates from the 1920s
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Prone’s story begins in Latin: pronus meant “leaning forward.” Possibly related to 'pro', forward. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as prone. In English it first meant naturally inclined, around 1400; the sense 'face down' only appears in the 1570s. It reached English by 1300s as prone. 'accident-prone' dates from the 1920s. Today, prone means likely to suffer; lying face down.