prefer

/pɹəˈfɜː/pruh-FUR

/pɹəˈfɝ/pruh-FUR

Meaningto carry in front

Common meaning: to like better

prebeforeSkeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), p. 463 · scan
ferto bear, bringLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 737 · scan

‘before’ + ‘to bear, bring’ → prefer

Journey through time

pre — Latin prae- “before” (path traced)
fer — Latin ferō, tulī, lātum “to bear, bring” (path traced)

Parts join in Latin as preferre.

Latinprae- + ferre‘before + to bear, bring’source
Latinpreferresource
Old Frenchpreferersource
Englishprefer‘to like better’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin preferre, which Skeat analyses as prae- ‘before’ + ferre ‘to bear, bring’.

Roots

ferō, tulī, lātum Latin “to bear, bring”
preferre Latin “to carry in front”

Related words

confer conifer differ indifference infer nontransferable offer suffer

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