present: [13] The Latin adjective praesēns ‘at hand, now here’ originated as the present participle of praeesse ‘be before one’, a compound verb formed from the prefix prae- ‘in front’ and esse ‘be’. English acquired it via Old French present, the same route as was taken by its derivative praesentia on its way to English presence [14]. The use of the related noun present for ‘gift’ originated in Old French in the concept of ‘bringing something into someone’s presence’, and hence of giving it to them. The verb present [13] comes from the Latin derivative praesentāre.
