English
importancy
Importancy comes from Latin importo ‘to bring, to import’, and goes back to portō ‘carry, bear’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportō‘carry, bear’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimporto‘to bring, to import’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimportārepresent active infinitive of importo
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500importantia
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604importancy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportō‘carry, bear’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimporto‘to bring, to import’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimportārepresent active infinitive of importo
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500importantia
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604importancy
Earliest quotation: c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello: “[…]we conſider The importancy of Cypreſſe to the Turke:…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *per-
first, before, far, per, price, private, press, further, practice, fear, pre, appreciate, primary, prior, prime, prize, opportunity, practical, pregnant, afford, precious, praise, ford, privilege, parade, par, interpretation, forth, ferry, pirate, fare, pardon, prix, primitive, interpreter, pragmatic, privy, prism, proton, peril, 143 more
through Proto-Italic *portā ‘gate’
transport, porch, portal, rapporteur, portico, porta, 21 more
through Proto-Italic *portāō ‘to carry’
sport, export, porter, rapport, deport, comport, 16 more
through Latin portō ‘carry, bear’
Today it means
noun Importance; significance.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin portō / importancy