'prostatic' originates from Modern Latin 'prostaticus', ultimately from Greek 'prostatikos' (from 'prostates'), where the Greek root meant 'one who stands before' or 'protector'.

'prostatic' changed from the Greek word 'prostatikos' through Late Latin/Medieval New Latin 'prostaticus' and was adopted into English in medical contexts as 'prostatic'.

Initially, the root referred to 'one who stands before' (a protector), but over time it became specialized anatomically to mean 'pertaining to the prostate gland'.