Etymology dictionary
prelate (n.) — presently (adv.)
prelate (n.)
c. 1200, "ecclesiastic of high rank, bishop, pope, superior of a religious house," from Old French prelat (Modern French prélate) and directly from Medieval Latin prelatus "clergyman of high rank," from Latin praelatus "one preferred," noun use of past participle of praeferre "place or set before, carry in front" (see prefer), from prae "before" (see pre-) + lātus "borne, carried" (see oblate (n.)). By late 14c. it was a generic term for a member of the clergy, regardless of rank.
pre-law (adj.)
"of or pertaining to study in preparation for law school," 1961, American English, from pre- + law (school).
prelim (n.)
1891, short for preliminary (race, test, event, etc.).
preliminary (adj.)
"preceding and leading up to something more important," 1660s, from French préliminaire and directly from Medieval Latin praeliminaris, from Latin prae "before" (see pre-) + limen (genitive liminis) "threshold" (see limit (n.)). A word that arose in reference to painstaking diplomatic negotiations to end the Thirty Years' War. Earliest attested form in English is preliminaries (n.) "things which lead up to or introduce following matter or events," 1650s.
prelude (n.)
"introductory performance; a preliminary to an action event or work," 1560s, from French prélude "notes sung or played to test the voice or instrument" (1530s), from Medieval Latin preludium "prelude, preliminary," from Latin praeludere "to play beforehand for practice, preface," from prae- "before" (see pre-) + ludere "to play" (see ludicrous). Purely musical sense of "movement or piece forming the introduction to a musical work" is attested in English by 1650s. Related: Preludial; prelusive; prelusory; preludious; prelusion.
premarital (adj.)
also pre-marital, "done or occurring before marriage," 1863, from pre- "before" + marital. Phrase pre-marital sex attested from 1953.
premature (adj.)
mid-15c., "ripe;" 1520s, "existing or done before the proper or usual time, arriving too early at maturity," from Latin praematurus "early ripe" (as fruit), "too early, untimely," from prae "before" (see pre-) + maturus "ripe, timely" (see mature (v.)). Related: Prematurely; prematurity; prematuration.
Premature ejaculation is attested from 1848; the Latin euphemism ejaculatio praecox dates to 1891 in English but was used earlier in German and appears to have been, at first at least, the psychologist's term for it.
pre-med (n.)
also premed, 1934, "undergraduate student in preparation for medical school," abbreviation of premedical. From 1941 as "a major in preparation for medical training." As an adjective from 1936.
premedical (adj.)
also pre-medical, 1881, in reference to study for medical training, from pre- + medical (adj.).
premeditate (v.)
"think about and contrive beforehand," 1540s, from pre- + meditate, or a back formation from premeditation, or else from Latin praemeditatus, past participle of praemeditari "to consider beforehand," from prae "before" (see pre-) + meditari "to consider," from a frequentative form of PIE root *med- "take appropriate measures." Related: Premeditated; premeditating.
premeditation (n.)
"previous deliberation, prior consideration, forethought," early 15c., premeditacioun, from Old French premeditacion and directly from Latin praemeditationem (nominative praemeditatio) "consideration beforehand," noun of action from past-participle stem of praemeditari "to consider beforehand," from prae "before" (see pre-) + meditari "to consider," from a frequentative form of PIE root *med- "take appropriate measures."
premenstrual (adj.)
also pre-menstrual, "preceding menstruation," 1865, from pre- "before" + menstrual. Premenstrual syndrome (1971) earlier was premenstrual tension (1928).
premiere (n.)
1889, "a first performance of a play," from French première, in phrase première représentation, from fem. of premier "first" (see premier (adj.)). The verb is recorded from 1925. Related: Premiered; premiering.
premier (n.)
1711 in the political sense, "the first minister of a state," a shortening of premier minister (1680s); see premier (adj.). In U.S. usage, premier formerly was applied occasionally to the Secretary of State (late 19c.).
premier (adj.)
mid-15c., "first in time, earliest in appearance;" late 15c. as "first in rank or importance," from French premier "first, chief," from Latin primarius "of the first rank; chief, principal; excellent," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.)).
premillennial (adj.)
1829, "existing or occurring before the millennium," especially in the theological sense of "before the Second Coming of Christ;" from pre- "before" + millennial (adj.). Premillenarian, one who believes the second coming of Christ will precede the Millennium, is from 1842. Related: Premillenialism.
premise (n.)
late 14c., in logic, "a previous proposition from which another follows, a judgment causing another judgment," from Old French premisse (14c.), from Medieval Latin praemissa (propositio or sententia) "(the proposition) set before," noun use of fem. past participle of Latin praemittere "send forward, put before," from prae "before" (see pre-) + mittere "to send" (see mission).
In legal documents it meant "matter previously stated" (early 15c.), which in deeds or wills often was a description of a house or building, hence the extended meaning "house or building, with grounds" (1730).
premises (n.)
"building and grounds," 1730; see premise (n.).
premise (v.)
"to state before something else, set forth or make known as introductory to the main subject," mid-15c., from premise (n.). Related: Premised; premising.
premium (n.)
c. 1600, "reward given for a specific act or a particular line of conduct," from Latin praemium "reward, profit derived from booty," from prae "before" (see pre-) + emere "to buy," originally "to take" (from PIE root *em- "to take, distribute").
The sense of "amount to be paid by agreement for a contract of insurance" is from 1660s, from Italian premio. The adjectival sense of "superior in quality" is first attested 1925, originally in reference to butter. Figurative use of the phrase at a premium "at more than the usual value" is by 1828.
premolar (n.)
"premolar tooth," 1841, from pre- "before" + molar. Related: Premolars.
premonition (n.)
mid-15c., premunicion, premunition, "preliminary warning, previous notification or admonishment," from Anglo-French premunition (late 14c.), Old French premonicion, from Medieval Latin praemonitionem (nominative praemonitio) "a forewarning," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin praemonere "forewarn," from prae "before" (see pre-) + monere "to admonish, warn, advise," from PIE *moneie- "to make think of, remind," suffixed (causative) form of root *men- (1) "to think."
premonitory (adj.)
"serving to warn or notify beforehand," 1640s, from Late Latin praemonitorius, from praemonitor, agent noun from stem of praemonere "forewarn" (see premonition).
premorbid (adj.)
also pre-morbid, "preceding the occurrence of symptoms or disease," 1905, from pre- "before" + morbid.
premotion (n.)
motion or impulse given beforehand," "1640s, from Medieval Latin praemotionem (nominative praemotio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Late Latin praemovere, from prae "before" (see pre-) + movere "to move" (from PIE root *meue- "to push away").
prenatal (adj.)
"previous to birth, existing or occurring before birth," 1826, formed in English from pre- "before" + natal.
prentice (n.)
c. 1300, shortened form of apprentice (n.). Related: Prenticeship; prenticehood. As a verb from 1590s.
prenup (n.)
by 1988 as a shortening of prenuptial agreement (see prenuptial).
prenuptial (adj.)
"being or happening before marriage," 1826, from pre- "before" + nuptial. Prenuptial agreement is attested by 1833.
preoccupation (n.)
1550s, "state of occupying or seizing beforehand," from Latin praeoccupationem (nominative praeoccupatio) "a seizing beforehand, anticipation," noun of action from past-participle stem of praeoccupare, from prae "before" (see pre-) + occupare "seize" (see occupy). Meaning "prior mental absorption" is from 1854. Earlier its secondary sense was "bias, prejudice" (c. 1600).
preoccupancy (n.)
also pre-occupancy, "prior occupation, act of taking possession before another," 1734, from pre- "before" + occupancy.
preoccupy (v.)
1560s, "engage (the attention of) beforehand, engross in advance of or to the exclusion of other things," from pre- "before" + occupy. Sense of "occupy before others" is attested from 1620s. Related: Preoccupied; preoccupying.
preoccupied (adj.)
"absorbed in thought, meditative," 1823, past-participle adjective from preoccupy (v.) in the "absorb mentally" sense. Earlier it meant "occupied in advance."
pre-op (n.)
1913 as short for pre-operative (preparation). Pre-operative as an adjective, "given or occurring before a surgical operation" is by 1904.
pre-ordain (v.)
also preordain, "ordain, decree, or appoint beforehand," 1530s, from pre- + ordain (q.v.). Related: Preordained; preordaining; preordinance; preordination. Middle English had preordinate (adj.) "preordained" (early 15c.), from Latin praeordinatus, past participle of praeordionare.
pre-order (v.)
1630s, "to arrange beforehand," from pre- + order (v.). Marked in OED 2nd ed. as "rare." Related: Pre-ordered; pre-ordering.
pre-owned (adj.)
"previously owned by another," 1961, of motor vehicles, American English, from pre- + owned. A euphemism for used.
prep (n.)
1862, short for preparation. Prep school is attested from 1895, short for preparatory school. First record of prep in the college slang sense "student or graduate of a preparatory school, student taking a preparatory course of study" is by 1899 (also see preppie).
prep (v.)
slang shortening of prepare, 1908. Related: Prepped; prepping.
pre-packaged (adj.)
"packaged at the site of production," 1944, from pre- "before" + package (v.).
prepay (v.)
also pre-pay, "pay beforehand," 1839 (implied in pre-paid), originally of postage, from pre- "before" + pay (v.). Related: Prepayment.
preparative (adj.)
"serving or tending to prepare the way or make ready for something to follow," c. 1400, preparatif, from Old French preparatif and directly from Medieval Latin preparativus, from stem of Latin praeparare (see prepare).
prepare (v.)
mid-15c., "set in order or readiness for a particular end," a back formation from preparation and in part from Old French preparer (14c.), from Latin praeparare "to make ready beforehand," from prae "before" (see pre-) + parare "to make ready" (from PIE root *pere- (1) "to produce, procure"). Compare pare (v.), which is from the same Latin verb. Related: Prepared; preparer; preparing.
Intransitive sense of "make (oneself) ready beforehand" is from c. 1500. The sense of "bring into a particular mental state with reference to the future" is by 1520s. The sense of "make (food) ready to eat" is from late 15c. (Caxton). The meaning "provide or procure for future use" is from 1530s. An earlier verb was preparate (late 14c.), from Latin praeparatus, past participle of praeparare. The Boy Scouts' motto Be Prepared is attested from 1911, based, as he said, on the initials of the organization's founder, Robert Baden-Powell.
preparation (n.)
late 14c., preparacioun, "act of preparing or making ready, preliminary act or operation, a previous setting in order," from Old French preparacion (13c.) and directly from Latin praeparationem (nominative praeparatio) "a making ready," noun of action from past participle stem of praeparare "prepare," from prae "before" (see pre-) + parare "make ready" (from PIE root *pere- (1) "to produce, procure"). Meaning "a substance especially prepared or manufactured" is from 1640s.
preparatory (adj.)
"serving to prepare the way for something to follow," early 15c., preparatori, from Late Latin praeparatorius, from Latin praeparatus, past participle of praeparare "make ready beforehand" (see prepare).
Earlier in same sense was preparative (c. 1400). The word was applied by 1822 in the United Kingdom to junior schools in which pupils are "prepared" for a higher school.
preparedness (n.)
"state of being prepared, readiness," 1580s, from past participle of prepare + -ness.
prepend (v.)
"ponder, consider," 1560s, from pre- "before" + Latin pendere "to hang, cause to hang; weigh; pay" (from PIE root *(s)pen- "to draw, stretch, spin"). Related: Prepended; prepending.
prepense (adj.)
"planned beforehand, premeditated," 1702, short for prepensed, prepenst (mid-15c.), past-participle adjective from obsolete verb prepense "consider beforehand," originally purpense, from Old French pourpenser "to plan, meditate" (11c.), from pro "before" (see pro-) + penser "to think," from Latin pensare "weigh, consider," frequentative of pendere "to hang, cause to hang; weigh; pay" (from PIE root *(s)pen- "to draw, stretch, spin").
Usually in the legal phrase malice prepense (with French word order) "wrong or injury purposefully done or planned in advance" (see malice). This is attested from mid-15c. as malice prepensed. Related: Prepensive.
preponderance (n.)
1680s, "greater heaviness, fact of exceeding in weight," from Latin praeponderans, present participle of praeponderare "make heavier" (see preponderate). Sense of "greater importance" is from 1780; that of "greater number" is from 1845. Related: Preponderancy.
preponderate (v.)
1610s, "to weigh more than," from Latin praeponderatus, past participle of praeponderare "outweigh, make heavier," from prae "before" (see pre-) + ponderare "to weigh," from pondus "weight," from stem of pendere "to hang, cause to hang; weigh" (from PIE root *(s)pen- "to draw, stretch, spin").
Intransitive sense is from 1620s. Meaning "to exceed in force or power" is from 1799. In 17c. English had a verb preponder "outweigh in importance," but it seems not to have survived. Related: Preponderating; preponderation.
preponderous (adj.)
"exceeding in quantity or amount," 1700, from preponderate + -ous. Related: Preponderously.
preponderant (adj.)
"of greater weight or influence," mid-15c., from Latin praeponderantem (nominative praeponderans), present participle of praeponderare "outweigh; make heavier" (see preponderate). Related: Preponderantly.
preposition (n.)
late 14c., preposicioun, in grammar, "indeclinable part of speech regularly placed before and governing a noun in an oblique case and showing its relation to a verb, adjective, or other noun," from Latin praepositionem (nominative praepositio) "a putting before, a prefixing," noun of action from past-participle stem of praeponere "put before," from prae "before" (see pre-) + ponere "put, set, place" (past participle positus; see position (n.)). In grammatical use, a loan-translation of Greek prothesis, literally "a setting before." Old English used foresetnys as a loan-translation of Latin praepositio.
pre-position (v.)
"to position beforehand," 1946, from pre- + position (v.). Related: Pre-positioned; pre-positioning.
prepositional (adj.)
"pertaining to or having the nature or function of a preposition," 1754, from preposition + -al (1). Related: Prepositionally.
prepossess (v.)
1610s, "to get possession of (ground or land) beforehand," from pre- "before" + possess. Meaning "to possess (a person) beforehand with a feeling, notion, etc." is from 1630s; specifically, "to cause (someone) to have a favorable opinion of something, preoccupy the mind or heart of" (1640s). Related: Prepossessed; prepossessing.
prepossessing (adj.)
1640s, "causing bias or prejudice, predisposing the mind to favor," present-participle adjective from prepossess. Opposite meaning "causing agreeable first impression" is attested by 1805.
prepossession (n.)
1640s, "predisposition, prejudice," also "act of taking possession beforehand" (a sense now rare), noun of action from prepossess (v.).
preposterous (adj.)
1540s, "contrary to nature, reason, or common sense," from Latin praeposterus "absurd, contrary to nature, inverted, perverted, in reverse order," literally "before-behind" (compare topsy-turvy, cart before the horse), from prae "before" (see pre-) + posterus "subsequent, coming after," from post "after" (see post-).
The sense gradually shaded into "foolish, ridiculous, stupid, absurd." The literal meaning "reversed in order or arrangement, having that last which ought to be first" (1550s) is now obsolete in English. In 17c. English also had a verb preposterate "to make preposterous, pervert, invert." Related: Preposterously; preposterousness.
preppie (n.)
"student at a preparatory school," 1962, also preppy; see prep + -y (3). As an adjective from 1966. An older variant in the noun sense was prepper (1921), see -er (3), also prepster (1938), see -ster.
preprandial (adj.)
also pre-prandial, "before a meal," 1822, in a letter from Lamb to Coleridge, from pre- "before" + Latin prandium "luncheon" (see postprandial).
preprint (n.)
"that which is printed in advance," 1889, from pre- "before" + print (n.).
preprint (v.)
also pre-print, "to print in advance," 1913, from pre- "before" + print (v.). Related: Preprinted; preprinting.
preprocess (v.)
also pre-process, "subject to preliminary processing," 1956, from pre- "before" + process (v.). Related: Preprocessed; preprocessing.
preprogram (v.)
also pre-program, "program (a computer, etc.) beforehand," 1955, from pre- "before" + program (v.). Related: Preprogrammed; preprogramming.
prepubescent (adj.)
also pre-pubescent, "being or occurring before the onset of puberty," 1883 (in Gerald Massey's "The Natural Genesis"), from pre- "before" + pubescent. An older word in the same sense was impuberal (1829), from Latin impubes.
prepublication (adj.)
"produced, issued, or occurring in advance of publication," 1903, from pre- "before" + publication.
prepuce (n.)
c. 1400, "the foreskin," also "the state of being uncircumcised," from Old French prepuce, from Latin praeputium "foreskin," possibly from prae "before" (see pre-) + *putos "penis." Earlier in English as prepucy (late 14c.), directly from Latin. Related: Preputial.
prequel (n.)
"a film, book, etc., portraying events which precede those of an existing film, book, etc.," 1973, from pre- "before," based on sequel (n.).
Pre-Raphaelite (n., adj.)
by 1849 in reference to the "brotherhood" (founded 1847) of Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and others (seven in all) who, encouraged by Ruskin, sought to revive the naturalistic spirit of art in the age before Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520).
pre-record (v.)
also prerecord, "record (music, etc.) for subsequent use," 1936, from pre- "before" + record (v.). Related: Pre-recorded; pre-recording.
pre-registration (n.)
also preregistration, "registration in advance," 1923, from pre- + registration.
pre-release (adj.)
"of the period before the date fixed for release," 1916, in reference to motion pictures, from pre- + release (n.). As a noun, "a film or record available on a limited basis before general release," by 1919. As a verb, "to release on a limited basis before the date fixed for release," by 1917 (implied in pre-released).
prerequisite
1630s (n.) "a thing or condition required beforehand," 1650s (adj.), "required beforehand, necessary as a condition of something following;" see pre- "before" + requisite. A verb prerequire "require beforehand" is attested from 1610s.
pre-revolutionary (adj.)
also prerevolutionary, "happening before a revolution," originally especially the American or French revolutions, by 1837 (American Monthly Magazine, October), from pre- "before" + revolution.
prerogative (n.)
"special right or privilege granted to someone; characteristic right inhering in one's nature, office, or position," late 14c., prerogatif, (in Anglo-Latin from late 13c.), from Old French prerogative (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin prerogativa "special right," from Latin praerogativa "prerogative, previous choice or election, privilege."
This was originally (with tribus, centuria) "unit of 100 voters who by lot voted first in the Roman comita," noun use of fem. of praerogativus (adj.) "chosen to vote first, that is asked before," from praerogere "ask before others," from prae "before" (see pre-) + rogare "to ask, ask a favor," apparently a figurative use of a PIE verb meaning literally "to stretch out (the hand)," from root *reg- "move in a straight line." In Middle English also "an innate faculty or property which especially distinguishes someone or something."
presage (n.)
late 14c., "something which portends or foreshadows," from Latin praesagium "a foreboding," from praesagire "to perceive beforehand, forebode," from praesagus (adj.) "perceiving beforehand, prophetic," from prae "before" (see pre-) + sagus "prophetic," related to sagire "perceive" (see sagacity).
presage (v.)
1560s, "foreshadow, foretoken, signify beforehand;" 1590s, "have a presentiment," from French présager (16c.), from présage "omen," from Latin praesagium "a presage," from praesagire "to perceive beforehand," from praesagus (adj.) "perceiving beforehand, prophetic," from prae "before" (see pre-) + sagus "prophetic," related to sagire "perceive" (see sagacity). Related: Presaged; presaging.
presby-
word-forming element meaning "old," from Greek presby-, combining form of presbys "elderly, aged," as a noun, "elder, old man," which is of uncertain and much debated origin and phonetic development (some Doric forms have -g- in place of -b-). The first element is likely *pres- "before, in front" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of, before, first"). Perhaps the whole originally meant "one who leads the cattle," from the root of bous "cow." Watkins, however, has it from PIE *pres-gwu- "going before," with second element from root *gw-u- "going," a suffixed form of root *gwa- "to come."
presbycousis (n.)
"loss of hearing acuteness due to age," 1890, medical Latin (by 1886 in German), from Greek presbys "old man; elderly, aged" (see presby-) + akousis "hearing," from akouein "to hear" (see acoustic).
presbyopia (n.)
"far-sightedness brought on by age," 1791, medical Latin, from Greek presbys "old man," also "elderly, aged" (see presby-) + -opia, from ōps "eye" (from PIE root *okw- "to see"). Related: Presbyopic.
presbyter (n.)
"elder of the Christian church," 1590s, from Late Latin presbyter, "an elder," used for "a priest" in Jerome and Prudentius, from Greek presbyteros "older," comparative of presbys "old; old man" (see presby-). In the Greek New Testament, presbyterion was "council of elders" of the Jewish community or the apostolic church.
presbytery (n.)
mid-15c., presbitori, "bench or seats within the altar rails and reserved for the priests," from Church Latin presbyterium, from Greek presbyterion, from presbyteros "an elder," comparative of presbys "old; old man" (see presby-). In architecture, "the part of the church appropriated to the clergy." Meaning "body of elders in the Presbyterian system" is recorded from 1570s.
Presbyterian (adj., n.)
1640, in reference to the Scottish church governed by elders (as opposed to bishops) and holding a modified form of Calvinism, from presbyter "an elder in a church" (1590s), from Late Latin presbyter "an elder," from Ecclesiastical Greek presbyteros "one that presides over assemblies or congregations," noun use of an adjective meaning "elder (of two), old, venerable, advanced in life," comparative of presbys "elderly, aged" (see presby-).
Also used generally (with lower-case p-) of any system of ecclesiastical government by church elders. Presbyterial was used from c. 1600 in the sense "of or pertaining to a presbytery;" also from 1590s as "presbyterian" (adj.). Related: Presbyterianism.
preschool (adj.)
also pre-school, "of or pertaining to the time before a child is old enough for school," 1886, from pre- "before" + school (n.); the noun is from 1910, "a nursery school for children of preschool age." Related: pre-schooling; pre-schooler.
prescience (n.)
"foreknowledge, second sight, knowledge of events before they take place," late 14c., from Old French prescience (13c.) and directly from Late Latin praescientia "fore-knowledge," from *praescientem, present participle of *praescire "to know in advance," from Latin prae "before" (see pre-) + scire "to know" (see science).
prescient (adj.)
"foreknowing, having knowledge of events before they take place," 1620s, from French prescient (15c.) and directly from Latin praescientem (nominative praesciens), present participle of praescire "to know in advance," from Latin prae "before" (see pre-) + scire "to know" (see science). Related: Presciently.
prescientific (adj.)
also pre-scientific, "existing before the scientific age," by 1836, from pre- "before" + scientific.
prescreen (v.)
also pre-screen, 1952, of movies, "to screen beforehand," from pre- "before" + screen (v.). Related: Prescreened; prescreening.
prescribe (v.)
mid-15c., prescriben, "to write down as a direction, law, or rule," from Latin praescribere "write before, prefix in writing; ordain, determine in advance," from prae "before" (see pre-) + scribere "to write" (from PIE root *skribh- "to cut"). Related: Prescribed; prescribing. Medical sense of "advise, appoint, or designate as a remedy for a disease" is from 1580s, probably a back formation from prescription.
prescription (n.)
late 14c., prescripcioun, in law, "a title or right acquired through long use or uninterrupted possession," from Old French prescription (13c.) and directly from Latin praescriptionem (nominative praescriptio) "a writing before, order, direction," noun of action from past participle stem of praescribere "write before, prefix in writing; ordain, determine in advance," from prae "before" (see pre-) + scribere "to write" (from PIE root *skribh- "to cut").
Meaning "act of establishing by rules" is from 1540s. The medical sense of "written directions from a doctor of the medicines or remedies to be used by a patient and the manner of using them" is recorded by 1570s. The word has been confused with proscription at least since c. 1400.
prescriptive (adj.)
1748, "giving definite, precise directions;" 1765 as "arising from established usage or opinion, customary," 1748, from Late Latin praescriptivus, from praescript-, past-participle stem of praescribere "ordain, determine in advance; write before" (see prescription). Or formed in English from archaic prescript "a direction" (1530s), from Latin praescriptum. An adjective prescript "ordained, appointed" is attested in English from early 15c. In linguistics by 1933; opposed to descriptive.
prescriptivism (n.)
by 1963 in moral philosophy, "the view that moral judgments are prescriptions;" by 1977 in reference to language, "the belief that the grammar of a language should conform to its rules," hence often in a hostile sense, "belief that one variety of a language is superior to others and should be promoted, attempt to establish or maintain rules defining preferred or correct usage;" see prescriptive + -ism. Related: Prescriptivist.
preselection (n.)
also pre-selection, "selection beforehand," 1882, from pre- "before" + selection.
preselect (v.)
also pre-select, "select beforehand or in advance," 1856, from pre- "before" + select (v.). Related: Preselected; preselecting.
presence (n.)
mid-14c., "fact of being present, state of being in a certain place and not some other," also "space before or around someone or something," from Old French presence (12c., Modern French présence), from Latin praesentia "a being present," from praesentem (see present (adj.)).
From late 14c. as "state of being face to face with a superior or great personage." The meaning "carriage, demeanor, aspect" (especially if impressive) is from 1570s; that of "divine, spiritual, or incorporeal being felt as present" is from 1660s. Presence of mind (1660s) "calm, collected state of mind, with the faculties ready at command," is a loan-translation of French présence d'esprit, Latin praesentia animi.
presentation (n.)
late 14c., presentacioun, "act of presenting, ceremonious giving of a gift, prize, etc.," from Old French presentacion (13c.) and directly from Medieval Latin praesentationem (nominative praesentatio) "a placing before," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin praesentare "to present, show, exhibit," literally "to place before," from stem of praesens (see present (adj.)).
The meaning "that which is offered or presented" is from mid-15c.; that of "a theatrical or other representation" is recorded from c. 1600. Related: Presentational.
presentment (n.)
c. 1300, "act of presenting," from Old French presentement "presentation (of a person) at a ceremony" (12c.), from presenter (see present (v.)). From c. 1600 as "anything presented or exhibited." In law, "statement by a grand jury of an offense without a bill of indictment" (mid-15c.).
present (n.1)
c. 1300, "the present time, time now passing, this point in time" (opposed to past and future), also "act or fact of being present; portion of space around someone," from Old French present (n.) "the present time" (11c.), from Latin praesens "being there" (see present (adj.)).
In Middle English also "the portion of space around someone" (mid-14c.). In old legalese, these presents means "these documents, the documents in hand" (late 14c.).
present (adj.)
c. 1300, "being in the same place as someone or something;" early 14c., "existing at the time," from Old French present "evident, at hand, within reach;" as a noun, "the present time" (11c., Modern French présent) and directly from Latin praesentem (nominative praesens) "present, at hand, in sight; immediate; prompt, instant; contemporary," from present participle of præesse "be before (someone or something), be at hand," from prae- "before" (see pre-) + esse "to be" (from PIE root *es- "to be").
Meaning "abiding in a specified place" is from mid-14c. in English. As a grammatical tense expressing action or being in the present time, recorded from late 14c.
presently (adv.)
late 14c., "immediately, at this time," from present (adj.) + -ly (2). Between mid-15c. and mid-17c. it relaxed into "sooner or later, by and by."