English
evidence
Evidence comes from Middle English evidence, via Old French, from Latin evidentia ‘clearness, proof’, from evidens ‘clear, evident’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEevidens‘clear, evident’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEevidentia‘clearness; proof’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500evidence
- Englishearliest quotation 1748same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEevidens‘clear, evident’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEevidentia‘clearness; proof’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500evidence
- Englishearliest quotation 1748same form
Earliest quotation: 1748, David Hume, Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding: “In our reasonings concerning matter of fact, there are…”
The story
From Middle English evidence, from Old French [Term?], from Latin evidentia (‘clearness, in Late Latin a proof’), from evidens (‘clear, evident’); see evident.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’
story, guy, idea, witness, wise, historic, advice, guide, wisdom, wit, wizard, historian, advise, idol, witty, guise, visitation, steroid, tabloid, improvise, revue, envious, envision, druid, twit, avis, hypothyroidism, witter, idyll, hyperthyroidism, parathyroid, trapezoid, weet, thyroxine, hyoid, colloid, visite, thyroiditis, sigmoid, 93 more
through Proto-Indo-European *widéh₁yeti
through Proto-Italic *widēō ‘to see’
provision, revision, providence, invisibility, prudential, vada, provident, 16 more
through Latin videō ‘to appear, seem’
visit, video, review, interview, provide, vision, invisible, visa, visibility, vista, revise, prudent, voyeur, purview, jurisprudence, purveyor, proviso, prudence, vide, invidious, 18 more
Today it means
noun Facts or observations presented in support of an assertion.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin evidens / evidence