English
augur
Augur comes from Latin augur, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwgos ‘to increase, to enlarge’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éwgos‘to increase, to enlarge’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*augos ~ *augezosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaugur
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1701same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éwgos‘to increase, to enlarge’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*augos ~ *augezosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaugur
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1701same form
Earliest quotation: a. 1701, John Dryden, The First Book of Homer’s Ilias: “Augur of ill, whoſe tongue was never found /…”
The story
Borrowed from Latin augur, of uncertain origin; akin to augurō (‘interpret omens’).uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwgos ‘to increase, to enlarge’
through Latin augur
Today it means
noun A diviner who foretells events by the behaviour of birds or other animals, or by signs derived from celestial phenomena, or unusual occurrences.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwgos / augur