Prognathous
/prɒɡˈneɪθəs/noun
Having jaws that project forward beyond the vertical plane of the face.
Did you know?The term combines Greek pro- (“forward”) with gnathos (“jaw”), the same anatomical root preserved in scientific words such as gnathic and agnathous.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenu-
“Jaw or cheek; a reconstructed ancestral root associated with later jaw-related words.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
γνάθος (gnáthos)
“Jaw or cheek.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
προγνάθος (prognáthos)
“Forward-jawed; having the jaw projecting outward.”
19th Century
New Latin
prognathus
“A zoological and anatomical term for an individual or animal with projecting jaws.”
Modern English
English
prognathous
“Having jaws that project forward beyond the general facial plane.”
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