English
faculty
Faculty comes from Latin facultas ‘capability, ability, skill, abundance, plenty,…’, from facilitas ‘easiness, facility, etc’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō‘do, make’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfacilis‘easy, facile’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfacul‘easily’another form of facilis
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfacilitas‘easiness, facility, etc’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfacultas‘capability, ability, skill, abundance, plenty, stock, goods, property’another form of facilitas
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400faculte
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘power, property’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602faculty
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō‘do, make’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfacilis‘easy, facile’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfacul‘easily’another form of facilis
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfacilitas‘easiness, facility, etc’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfacultas‘capability, ability, skill, abundance, plenty, stock, goods, property’another form of facilitas
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400faculte
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘power, property’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602faculty
Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “What a piece of work is a man! how…”
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *θakjō
effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, affectionate, imperfection, putrefaction, 63 more
through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’
effective, factor, perfection, affection, interface, manufacture, imperfect, faction, affective, defection, facet, defector, effector, affectation, confectionary, deface, 69 more
through Latin faciō ‘do, make’
perfect, effect, face, fact, feature, profit, affect, efficient, infection, sacrifice, affair, deficit, feat, difficulty, defect, facial, fetish, superficial, efficacy, counterfeit, infect, deficient, facade, maleficent, façade, facsimile, hacienda, aficionado, beautify, confection, efficacious, refectory, parfait, confit, beneficent, facies, 85 more
through Latin facilis ‘easy, facile’
difficult, facilitate, difficile, facile, 2 more
through Latin facilitas ‘easiness, facility, etc’
Today it means
noun The academic staff at schools, colleges, universities or not-for-profit research institutes, as opposed to the students or support staff.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- / faculty