Online Etymology Dictionary

pretentious (adj.): 1836, from French prétentieux (17c.), from prétention "pretension," from Medieval Latin pretentionem (nominative pretentio) "pretension," noun of action from past participle stem of Latin praetendere (see pretend (v.)).
preter-: also praeter-, word-forming element meaning "beyond," from Latin praeter (adverb and preposition) "beyond, before, above, more than," properly comparative of prae "before" (see pre-).
preterhuman (adj.): 1803, from preter- + human (adj.).
preterist (n.): "one who favors the past," 1864 (as a theological term from 1843, "one who holds that the Apocalyptic prophecies have begun to be fulfilled"), from preter- + -ist.
preterite (adj.): mid-14c., "having to do with the past," from Old French preterit "past tense" (13c.) and directly from Latin praeteritum (as in tempus praeteritum "time past"), past participle of praeterire "to go by, go past," from praeter "beyond, before, above, more than" (see prae-) + itum, past participle of ire "to go" (see ion). Grammar sense is late 14c. The word also was a noun in Middle English meaning "past times" (late 14c.). Related: Preteritive. Preterite-present attested from 1813.
preterm (adj.): also pre-term, 1928, from pre- + term (n.).
pretermission (n.): 1580s, from Latin pretermissionem (nominative pretermissio), noun of action from past participle stem of praetermittere (see pretermit).
pretermit (v.): 1510s, from Latin praetermittere "let pass, overlook," from praeter- (see preter-) + mittere (see mission). Related: Pretermitted; pretermitting.
preternatural (adj.): 1570s, from Medieval Latin preternaturalis (mid-13c.), from Latin phrase praeter naturam (praeterque fatum) "beyond nature (and beyond fate)," from praeter "beyond" (see preterite) + accusative of natura "nature" (see natural).
preterperfect (n.): 1530s, from Late Latin praeteritum perfectum "complete past;" see preter- + perfect (adj.). Related: Preterpluperfect.
pretest: also pre-test, 1949 (v. and n.), from pre- + test.
pretext (n.): 1510s, from French prétexte, from Latin praetextum "a pretext, outward display," noun use of neuter past participle of praetexere "to disguise, cover," literally "weave in front" (for sense, cf. pull the wool over (someone's) eyes); from prae- "in front" (see pre-) + texere "to weave," from PIE root *tek- "make" (see texture (n.)).
pretrial (n.): "preliminary hearing before a trial," 1938, American English, from pre- + trial.
prettification (n.): 1902, noun of action from prettify.
prettify (v.): 1836, from pretty (adj.) + -fy. Related: Prettified; prettifying.
prettily (adv.): early 15c., from pretty (adj.) + -ly (2).
prettiness (n.): 1520s, from pretty + -ness.
pretty (adj.): Old English prættig (West Saxon), pretti (Kentish), *prettig (Mercian) "cunning, skillful, artful, wily, astute," from prætt, *prett "a trick, wile, craft," from West Germanic *pratt- (cf. Old Norse prettr "a trick," prettugr "tricky;" Frisian pret, Middle Dutch perte, Dutch pret "trick, joke," Dutch prettig "sportive, funny," Flemish pertig "brisk, clever"), of unknown origin.

Connection between Old English and Middle English words is uncertain, but if they are the same, meaning had shifted by c.1400 to "manly, gallant," and later moved via "attractive, skillfully made," to "fine," to "beautiful in a slight way" (mid-15c.). Ironical use from 1530s. For sense evolution, compare nice, silly. Also used of bees (c.1400). "After the OE. period the word is unknown till the 15th c., when it becomes all at once frequent in various senses, none identical with the OE., though derivable from it" [OED].

Meaning "not a few, considerable" is from late 15c. With a sense of "moderately," qualifying adjectives and adverbs, since 1560s. Pretty please as an emphatic plea is attested from 1902. A pretty penny "lot of money" is first recorded 1768.
pretty (n.): "a pretty person or thing," 1736, from pretty (adj.).
pretty (v.): 1916, usually with up, from pretty (adj.). Related: Prettied; prettying. Cf. prettify.
pretty-boy: 1885 as an adjective, 1888 as a noun, from pretty (adj.) + boy (n.). In Middle English a pretty man was "a worthy or clever fellow."
pretzel (n.): 1851, from German Prezel, also Brezel, from Middle High German brezel, prezel, from Old High German brezitella, brecedela, from Medieval Latin *brachitella, presumably a kind of biscuit baked in the shape of folded arms (cf. Italian bracciatella, Old Provençal brassadel), diminutive of Latin bracchiatus "with branches, with arms," from bracchium "arm" (see brace (n.)).
prevail (v.): c.1400, "be successful; be efficacious," from Old French prevaleir (Modern French prévaloir) and directly from Latin praevalere "be stronger, have greater power," from prae "before" (see pre-) + valere "have power, be strong" (see valiant). Spelling in English perhaps influenced by avail. Related: Prevailed; prevailing.
prevailing (adj.): 1590s, "vigorous;" 1680s, "widely accepted," present participle adjective from prevail (v.).
prevalence (n.): 1590s, "fact of having mastery," from Middle French prévalence (15c.), from Late Latin praevalentia, from praevalens, present participle of praevalere (see prevalent). Meaning "condition of being widespread or general" is from 1713.
prevalent (adj.): early 15c., "having great power or force," from Latin praevalentem (nominative praevalens) "of superior strength; mighty," present participle of praevalere "to be more able" (see prevail). Meaning "extensively existing, in general use" is from 1650s.
prevaricate (v.): 1580s, "to transgress," a back formation from prevarication, or else from Latin praevaricatus, past participle of praevaricari "to make a sham accusation, deviate," literally "walk crookedly;" in Church Latin, "to transgress" (see prevarication). Meaning "to speak evasively" is from 1630s. Related: Prevaricated; prevaricating.
prevarication (n.): late 14c., "divergence from a right course, transgression," from Old French prevaricacion "breaking of God's laws, disobedience (to the Faith)" (12c., Modern French prévarication) and directly from Latin praevaricationem (nominative praevaricatio) "duplicity, collusion, a stepping out of line (of duty or behavior)," noun of action from past participle stem of praevaricari "to make a sham accusation, deviate," literally "walk crookedly," in Church Latin, "to transgress," from prae "before" (see pre-) + varicare "to straddle," from varicus "straddling," from varus "bowlegged, knock-kneed" (see varus). Meaning "evasion, quibbling" is attested from 1650s.
prevaricator (n.): c.1400, from Old French prevaricator and directly from Latin praevaricator "sham accuser; unfaithful advocate," agent noun from past participle stem of praevaricari (see prevaricate).
prevenient (adj.): 1650s, from Latin praevenientem (nominative praeveniens), present participle of praevenire, from prae- (see pre-) + venire "to come" (see venue).
prevent (v.): early 15c., "act in anticipation of," from Latin praeventus, past participle of praevenire "come before, anticipate, hinder," in Late Latin also "to prevent," from prae "before" (see pre-) + venire "to come" (see venue). Originally literal; sense of "anticipate to hinder" was in Latin, but not recorded in English until 1540s.
preventable (adj.): 1630s, from prevent + -able.
preventative (adj.): 1650s, from prevent + -ative. OED points out that preventive is better-formed. As a noun, from 1774.
prevention (n.): mid-15c., "action of stopping an event or practice," from Middle French prévention and directly from Late Latin praeventionem (nominative praeventio) "action of anticipating," noun of action from past participle stem of praevenire (see prevent).
preventive (adj.): 1630s, from Latin praevent-, past participle stem of praevenire (see prevent), + -ive. As a noun, from 1630s; in medical use from 1670s.
preverbal (adj.): 1931, from pre- + verbal.
preview (v.): c.1600, "to see beforehand," from pre- + view (v.). Meaning "to show (a film, etc.) before its public opening" is from 1928. Related: Previewed; previewing.
preview (n.): "a foretaste," 1880, from preview (v.); specifically "a showing of a book, film, etc. before public release" from 1922.
previous (adj.): 1620s, from Latin praevius "going before," from prae "before" (see pre-) + via "road" (see via). Related: Previously.
prevision (n.): 1610s, "foresight," from French prévision (14c.), from Late Latin praevisionem (nominative praevisio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin praevidere "see first, see beforehand," from prae- "before" (see pre-) + videre "to see" (see vision).
prex (n.): U.S. college slang for president (of a college), 1828. As a Latin verb, it meant "a request, entreaty."
prexy (n.): 1871, slang extension of prex.
prey (v.): c.1300, "to plunder, pillage, ravage," from prey (n.) and in part from Old French preer, earlier preder (c.1040), from Late Latin praedare, from praeda (see prey (n.)). Its sense of "to kill and devour" is attested from mid-14c. Related: Preyed; preying.
prey (n.): mid-13c., "animal hunted for food," also "that which is taken in war," from Old French preie "booty, animal taken in the chase" (mid-12c., Modern French proie), from Latin praeda "booty, plunder, game hunted," earlier praeheda, related to prehendere "to grasp, seize" (see prehensile).
prez (n.): slang shortening of president, 1892, American English. Cf. prex.
priapic (adj.): "phallic," 1786, with -ic + Priapus (Greek Priapos), son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, the god who personified male reproductive power. His name is of unknown origin.
priapism (n.): "persistent erection of the penis," 1620s, from Late Latin priapismus, from Greek priapismos, from priapizein, from Priapos (see priapic + -ism).
price (n.): c.1200, pris "value, worth; praise," later "cost, recompense, prize" (mid-13c.), from Old French pris "price, value, wages, reward," also "honor, fame, praise, prize" (Modern French prix), from Late Latin precium, from Latin pretium "reward, prize, value, worth," from PIE *pret-yo-, from root *per- (5) "to traffic in, to sell" (cf. Sanskrit aprata "without recompense, gratuitously;" Greek porne "prostitute," originally "bought, purchased," pernanai "to sell;" Lithuanian perku "I buy").

Praise, price, and prize began to diverge in Old French, with praise emerging in Middle English by early 14c. and prize being evident by late 1500s with the rise of the -z- spelling. Having shed the extra Old French and Middle English senses, the word now again has the base sense of the Latin original. To set (or put) a price on someone, "offer a reward for capture" is from 1766.
price (v.): "to set the price of," late 14c., from price (n.) or from Old French prisier, variant of preisier "to value, estimate; to praise." Related: Priced; pricing.
price-tag (n.): 1881, from price (n.) + tag (n.).