![]() ![]() The first is that presti- comes from Latin praestō “at hand,” a compound of prae “before” and a derivation from the Proto-Indo-European root ghes- “hand.” A second theory derives Latin praestō instead from prae and stāre “to stand,” which would make prestidigitation a distant relative of words such as stable, stand, state, and static. For the presti- element, in contrast, there are at least three theories. The -digit- element is clear it derives from Latin digitus “finger,” which is also the source of digital (literally “of or relating to fingers”). ![]() Prestidigitation “sleight of hand” is a borrowing from French, in which it literally means “nimble-fingeredness.” From there, the etymology becomes a bit murky.
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