English
basic
Basic is from base + -ic; base comes from Old French base, from Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βᾰ́σῐς ‘step’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷémtis‘step’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβᾰ́σῐςbắsĭs‘stepping, step, base’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbasis‘pedestal, base’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400base
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘foundation’
- English1500–presentsame form
- Englishearliest quotation 2004basic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷémtis‘step’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβᾰ́σῐςbắsĭs‘stepping, step, base’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbasis‘pedestal, base’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400base
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘foundation’
- English1500–presentsame form
- Englishearliest quotation 2004basic
Earliest quotation: 2004, Bungie, Halo 2: “When I shipped out for basic, the Orbital Defense…”
A compound of base + -ic
Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- ‘to come’
…
Ancient Greek βᾰ́σῐς ‘stepping’
Latin basis ‘a pedestal’
Old French base
Middle English base ‘a foundation or base’
English base
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- ‘to come, to step’
come, coming, event, revenue, convention, adventure, avenue, venue, diabetes, inventory, cum, convenience, advent, intervene, inventor, invent, souvenir, provenance, pug, convene, contravention, revenant, circumvention, contravene, quim, 51 more
through Proto-Hellenic *gʷə́tis ‘step’
basset, bassoon, basso, debase, 7 more
through Latin basis ‘a pedestal, foot, base’
through Middle English base ‘a foundation or base’
through English base
Today it means
adj Necessary, essential for life or some process.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷémtis / basic