Para
/ˈpær.ə/noun
A prefix meaning “beside,” “near,” “beyond,” or “against,” depending on the word.
Did you know?In Greek, para- was a real spatial prefix before it became a conceptual one, so words like paradox literally began as something that stood “beside opinion” or “against expectation.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to pass over, through, or beyond”
Ancient Greek
GRK
παρά
“beside, near, from, against”
Classical Greek
GRK
παρά-
“a prefix meaning beside, beyond, or contrary to”
Late Latin
LAT
para-
“borrowed prefix used in learned compounds”
Middle English
ENG
para-
“introduced in learned borrowings from Latin and Greek”
Modern English
ENG
para-
“a productive prefix meaning beside, beyond, or against”