The word purpose comes from the Old French porpos, which itself is derived from the Latin root proponere, meaning “to put forward” or “to set forth.” This Latin root is composed of two parts:
1. Pro-: meaning “forth” or “forward.”
2. Ponere: meaning “to put” or “to place.”
In essence, purpose originally referred to the idea of setting something forward as a goal or intention. Over time, it evolved to signify a person’s reason for doing something, the aim or objective they are striving to achieve.