Etymograph

English

pristine

Pristine comes from Middle French pristin ‘former’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, extend’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-1‘to stretch, extend’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per1next step skipped: Latin unattested
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīstinus2
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600pristin2‘former’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1749pristine2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin pristinus
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English pristine
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones: “Thus fable reports that the fair Grimalkin, whom Venus,…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-Wiktionary, Latin pristinus‘to stretch, extend’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*perWiktionary, Latin pristinusnext step skipped: Latin unattested
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīstinusWiktionary, English pristine
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600pristinWiktionary, English pristine‘former’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1749pristineWiktionary, English pristine. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones: “Thus fable reports that the fair Grimalkin, whom Venus,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, extend’

content, continue, entertainment, maintenance, tight, contain, ton, tone, obtain, tennis, tender, tune, retain, continuous, detention, tenant, retention, sustain, continent, tenor, tonic, tendon, rein, tenacity, continuum, tenacious, detain, countenance, pertinent, tetanus, sustenance, tenet, abstain, pertain, tenement, tantra, abstinence, incontinence, tenable, retinue, 72 more

Another origin of pristine

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπρῐ́ωas πρίζω‘to saw’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπρίστιςprístis‘saw, sawfish’
  3. Englishtodaypristine

Today it means

adj Unspoiled; still with its original purity; uncorrupted or unsullied.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “pristine”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin pristinus. 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 *ten- / pristine

Shirt and support for this word