English
auspicious
Auspicious comes from Latin auspicium ‘augury’, from avis ‘a bird’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwis.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éwis‘bird’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*awis‘bird’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEavis‘a bird’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CE*avispeksreconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEauspex‘augur’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEauspicium‘augury’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602auspicious
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éwis‘bird’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*awis‘bird’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEavis‘a bird’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CE*avispeksreconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEauspex‘augur’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEauspicium‘augury’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602auspicious
Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “Therefore our ſometimes Siſter, novv our Queen, / Th’…”
Formed from auspice + -ious
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwis ‘bird’
…
Latin *avispeks
Latin auspex ‘an augur’
Latin auspicium ‘divination, augury’
Middle French auspice
English auspice
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- ‘to enjoy’
audience, ear, audit, obey, acoustic, avid, anesthesia, audible, ovation, aural, avarice, otolaryngology, 66 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwis ‘bird’
through Latin avis ‘a bird’
Today it means
adj Of good omen; indicating future success.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwis / auspicious