'prostrate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'prostratus,' where 'pro-' meant 'forward' and 'sternere' meant 'to lay flat.'

'prostratus' transformed into the Old French word 'prostrer,' and eventually became the modern English word 'prostrate' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to lay flat,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.