precipitant

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*kap-“a head”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*preh₂-“before; in front”
3. Latin · derived frompraecipitāns
4. Late Latin · borrowed frompraecipitans“hasty, rash”
5. Old French · derived fromprecipitant“acting hastily, hasty, rash; acting, happening, or moving rapidly; pressing”
6. Middle French · borrowed fromprécipitant
7. English todayprecipitant

The adjective is borrowed from Middle French précipitant, Old French precipitant (“acting hastily, hasty, rash; acting, happening, or moving rapidly; pressing”) (modern French précipitant), and from their etymon Late Latin praecipitans (“hasty, rash”), an adjective use of Latin praecipitāns, the present participle of praecipitō (“to cast down; to throw headlong”), from praeceps (“head first, headlong; (figurative) hasty, rash”) (from prae (“before; in front”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- (“before; in front”)) + -ceps (suffix meaning ‘having a head with specified characteristics’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“a head”))). The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective.

Words from the same roots