preg (English)
Where does "preg" come from?
The noun 'preg' is a clipping, a shortened form of either 'pregnant' or 'pregnancy'[1]. 'Pregnant' entered English from Middle English 'preignant', borrowed from Old French 'preignant' or 'prenant', which traces back to Latin 'praegnāns'[2]. The Latin word is probably built from 'prae-' ('pre-') and an archaic form of 'nāscī' ('to be born')[2]. English 'pregnancy' was formed by adding the suffix '-cy' to 'pregnant'[3].
Open questions
- The Latin origin of 'praegnāns' is only probably a combination of 'prae-' and an archaic form of 'nāscī', so this internal breakdown is a plausible reconstruction rather than a settled fact. [2]
- The clipping source does not say whether 'preg' was shortened from 'pregnant' or from 'pregnancy', so its exact parent word is unclear. [1]
Full etymology tree
- preg (English), 'Pregnancy.'
- clipping pregnant (English), 'Carrying developing offspring within the body.'
- inherited preignant (Middle English)
- inherited preignant (Old French)
- inherited praegnans (Latin), 'alternative form of praegnās'
- prefix prae- (Latin), 'before; in front'
- compound *gnāscī (Latin)
- inherited praegnans (Latin), 'alternative form of praegnās'
- inherited preignant (Old French)
- inherited preignant (Middle English)
- clipping pregnant (English), 'Carrying developing offspring within the body.'
Sources
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris