PROTO

English

Alternative forms

• prot- (chemistry)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πρωτο- (prōto-),

combination form of πρῶτος (prôtos, “first”),

superlative of πρό (pró, “before”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹəʊ.təʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /pɹoʊ.toʊ/, [pɹoʊ.ɾoʊ]

Prefix

proto-

1. First, original. quotations ▼
2. (linguistics, genetics) Most recent common ancestor (often hypothetical) of.

All Indo-European languages from Albanian to Zazaki are descended from Proto-Indo-European.

3. (inorganic chemistry) See protosalt.
4. (chemistry) Relating to protons and/or positive charge.

Synonyms

• arch-, archi-, archo- (sometimes synonymous)
• ur-

Coordinate terms

• deutero-, deuter-
• trito-, trit-
• tetarto-, tetart-

Derived terms

English terms prefixed with proto-

• protocarbonate
• protosymbol
• protosymbolic
• protosymbolism

show ▼words in which it has the meaning "first"

show ▼in linguistics, proto-languages

Translations

show ▼±first

show ▼±(linguistics) ancestor of a family of languages

show ▼±chemistry

Anagrams

• Porto, Topor, Troop, porto, porto-, proot, troop, tropo, tropo-