A Spanish preposition meaning 'from' or 'since', used to indicate a starting point in time or space.
From Latin 'de ex de', literally meaning 'from out of from'. The word evolved through Vulgar Latin into Old Spanish, maintaining its core meaning of spatial and temporal origin throughout its development.
This little Spanish word is a perfect example of how Latin prepositions got stacked together over time - it's literally 'from out of from' compressed into one efficient package. Spanish speakers use it constantly, making it one of the most frequent words in the language, yet English speakers often struggle with its various contextual meanings.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.