Etymology

precursor

pre·cur·sor
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Today it means: That which precurses: a forerunner, predecessor, or indicator of approaching events. Full definition →

Middle English precursour ← Middle French precurseur ← Latin praecursor
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precursor · noun1

  1. Latin · derived frompraecursor
  2. Middle French · derived fromprecurseur
  3. Middle English · inherited fromprecursour
  4. English todayprecursor

Inherited from Middle English precursour, from Middle French precurseur or its etymon Latin praecursor (“forerunner”). By surface analysis, precurse + -or.

precursor · adjective2

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
  4. Proto-Italic*prai
  5. Proto-Italic*prai-
  6. Latinprae-
  7. Middle Englishpre-
  8. Englishpre-
  9. Englishcursor
  10. English todayprecursor

From pre- + cursor.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.