Etymograph

English

improve

Improve comes from Anglo-Norman emprouwer, from Old French en- + prou ‘profit’, from Vulgar Latin prode ‘advantageous’.

  1. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEprode‘advantageous, profitable’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400prou‘profit’
  3. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400emprouwer
  4. Englishearliest quotation a. 1678improve

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEprode‘advantageous, profitable’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400prou‘profit’
  3. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400emprouwer
  4. Englishearliest quotation a. 1678improve

Earliest quotation: a. 1678, Isaac Barrow, (please specify the chapter name or sermon number): “We shall especially honour God, by discharging faithfully those…”

Linked words

through Latin sum ‘to be’

future, present, essential, presence, absence, entity, absent, 13 more

through Latin prōsum ‘to be useful’

proud, pride, approve, 1 more

through Vulgar Latin prode ‘advantageous, profitable’

prowess, prude, prow

Today it means

verb To make (something) better; to increase the value or productivity (of something).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Vulgar Latin prode / improve

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