English
corroborate
Corroborate comes from Latin corrōborātus ‘strengthened’, from corrōborō ‘to support, corroborate’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- ‘red’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁rewdʰ-‘red’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*rouβosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErōbur‘strength’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErōborō‘strengthen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcorrōborō‘to support, corroborate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcorrōborātus‘strengthened’perfect passive participle of corrōborō
- Englishearliest quotation 1625corroborate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁rewdʰ-‘red’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*rouβosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErōbur‘strength’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErōborō‘strengthen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcorrōborō‘to support, corroborate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcorrōborātus‘strengthened’perfect passive participle of corrōborō
- Englishearliest quotation 1625corroborate
Earliest quotation: 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Custome and Education: “There is no Truſting to the Force of Nature,…”
first attested First attested in the 1530s (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested in the 1530s; borrowed from Latin corrōborātus (‘strengthened’), perfect passive participle of corrōborō (‘to support, corroborate’) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from con- (‘together’) + rōborō (‘to strengthen’), from rōbur, rōboris (‘strength’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- ‘red’
red, ruby, rust, reddish, rowan, russel, ruddy, redness, rouse, roux, rubric, rubella, roan, russet, rufous, erythema, rud, ruddock, 34 more
through Latin rōbur ‘strength’
Today it means
verb To confirm or support something with additional evidence; to attest or vouch for.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- / corroborate