English
impossibility
Impossibility comes from Latin impossibilis ‘impossible’, from possibilis ‘possible’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- ‘to be, become, grow, appear’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-‘to be, become, grow, appear’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰúHt‘to become’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*somreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*possomreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpossum‘to can’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpossibilis‘possible’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimpossibilis‘impossible’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimpossibilitās
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600impossibilité
- Englishearliest quotation 1562impossibility
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-‘to be, become, grow, appear’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰúHt‘to become’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*somreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*possomreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpossum‘to can’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpossibilis‘possible’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimpossibilis‘impossible’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimpossibilitās
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600impossibilité
- Englishearliest quotation 1562impossibility
Earliest quotation: 1562, Hugh Latimer, London: John Day: “Here by this petition whan we say, Leade vs…”
Equivalent to im- + possibility
Proto-Indo-European *pótis ‘master’
…
Late Latin possibilitās
Old French possibilite
Middle French possibilité
Middle English possibilite ‘possibility’
English possibility
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- ‘to be, become, grow, appear’
be, been, future, build, physical, bond, represent, improve, bush, bound, presentation, contribution, booth, approve, physician, favorable, distribute, fiat, contributor, bun, favourable, probability, bouquet, retribution, attribution, absentee, rebuke, bower, imp, aren, absentia, beamer, phylogeny, bosque, phylum, physic, approbation, boor, futur, bist, 74 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt ‘to become’
present, presence, essential, absence, absent, entity, bondage, busk, 15 more
through Proto-Italic *possom
through Latin possum ‘to can’
through Latin possibilis ‘possible’
Today it means
noun Something that is impossible.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- / impossibility