English
anterior
Anterior comes from Latin anterior ‘that is before, foremost’, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en ‘on the other side’, and ultimately from *h₂en- ‘on, onto’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂en-1‘on, onto’root named by Wiktionary
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂en2‘on the other side’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂énteros3reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEanterior1‘that is before, foremost’
- Englishearliest quotation 1859anterior1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English anterior
- 2 Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *h₂énteros
- 3 Wiktionary, Latin anterior
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1859, John Stuart Mill: “anterior to the time when mankind have become capable…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂en-Wiktionary, English anterior‘on, onto’root named by Wiktionary
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂enWiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *h₂énteros‘on the other side’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂énterosWiktionary, Latin anteriorreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEanteriorWiktionary, English anterior‘that is before, foremost’
- Englishearliest quotation 1859anteriorWiktionary, English anterior. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1859, John Stuart Mill: “anterior to the time when mankind have become capable…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- ‘on, onto’
on, end, along, upon, ana, asunder, 7 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂énteros
Today it means
adj Nearer the forward end, especially in the front of the body; nearer the head or forepart of an animal.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “anterior”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Indo-European *h₂énteros, Latin anterior. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- / anterior