'avanti' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'avanti', where the prefix 'a-' is a prepositional element (to/at) and 'vanti' is related to Latin 'ante' meaning 'before'.

'avanti' developed from Vulgar Latin forms (such as *abante or similar compounds of ab-/ad- + ante) into Old Italian and then modern Italian 'avanti'; it was later adopted into English as an Italian loanword in specific contexts.

Initially it conveyed the sense 'before' or 'in front'; over time it came to mean 'forward' or an exhortation meaning 'go ahead' or 'come in', which is the sense used in modern usage.