English
casualty
Casualty comes from Middle French casuel ‘fatal’, from Latin cāsus ‘event’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂d-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱh₂d-root as named
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱád-e-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kadō‘to fall, sink’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcadōas cadere‘to fall’next step skipped: Latin cāssus
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcāsus‘event’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500casualitas
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600casuel‘fatal’
- Englishearliest quotation 1962casualty
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱh₂d-root as named
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱád-e-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kadō‘to fall, sink’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcadōas cadere‘to fall’next step skipped: Latin cāssus
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcāsus‘event’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500casualitas
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600casuel‘fatal’
- Englishearliest quotation 1962casualty
Earliest quotation: 1962, Beyond the Channel: Switzerland: Federal aid for three minor: “Among recent casualties is the S.B.B.'s branch from Nyon…”
The story
Originally meaning “a chance event” (compare casual, as in “casual encounter”), it developed a negative meaning as “an unfortunate event”, especially the loss of a person.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂d-
coincidence, cascade, decadence, coincident, 1 more
through Latin cadō ‘to fall’
chance, accident, incident, cheat, occasion, incidence, decay, coincide, deciduous, cadence, decadent, occidental, recidivism, cadaver, occident, 15 more
through Latin cāsus ‘event’
Today it means
noun Something that happens by chance, especially an unfortunate event; an accident, a disaster.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂d- / casualty