Etymograph

English

approbation

Approbation comes from Old French approbacion ‘approval’, from Latin probō ‘test, examine’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- ‘to be, become, grow, appear’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-‘to be, become, grow, appear’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*probʰHwósreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*proβwosreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*proβos‘favourable’reconstructed
  5. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*proβāō‘to approve’reconstructed
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobō‘test, examine’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEapprobō‘to regard as good, approve, favor or favour, commend, endorse’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEapprobātiō‘the act of approving’
  9. Old Frenchc. 842–1400approbacion‘approval’
  10. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500approbacioun
  11. Englishearliest quotation 1796approbation

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-‘to be, become, grow, appear’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*probʰHwósreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*proβwosreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*proβos‘favourable’reconstructed
  5. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*proβāō‘to approve’reconstructed
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobō‘test, examine’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEapprobō‘to regard as good, approve, favor or favour, commend, endorse’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEapprobātiō‘the act of approving’
  9. Old Frenchc. 842–1400approbacion‘approval’
  10. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500approbacioun
  11. Englishearliest quotation 1796approbation

Earliest quotation: 1796, William Melmoth, The Letters of Pliny the Consul: With Occasional Remarks: “I am very sensible how much nobler it is…”

Equivalent to approbate + -ion

Latin approbatus ‘approved’

English approbate

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- ‘to be, become, grow, appear’

be, been, power, possible, future, build, present, physical, presence, bush, essential, bound, bond, absence, physician, booth, absent, contribution, entity, favorable, distribute, contributor, bun, favourable, fiat, bouquet, imp, rebuke, impotent, impossibility, retribution, bower, attribution, aren, beamer, bosque, phylogeny, physic, phylum, busk, 83 more

through Proto-Italic *proβos ‘favourable’

probe, probity, 9 more

through Latin probō ‘test, examine’

improve, prove, proof, probability, probable, probate, probative, 12 more

Today it means

noun The act of approving; an assenting to the propriety of a thing with some degree of pleasure or satisfaction; approval, sanction, commendation or official recognition.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- / approbation

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