English
improvise
Improvise comes from French improviser ‘to improvise’, from Latin improvisus ‘unforeseen, unexpected’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*widtós‘seen’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wissosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvīsus‘having been seen’next step skipped: Latin prōvideō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōvīsus‘foreseen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimprovisus‘unforeseen, unexpected’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentimproviser‘to improvise’
- Englishearliest quotation 1837improvise
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*widtós‘seen’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wissosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvīsus‘having been seen’next step skipped: Latin prōvideō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōvīsus‘foreseen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimprovisus‘unforeseen, unexpected’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentimproviser‘to improvise’
- Englishearliest quotation 1837improvise
Earliest quotation: 1837, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Another London Life: “We have improvised the most charming party imaginable. The…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’
story, guy, idea, video, evidence, review, guide, interview, visit, witness, provide, historic, wisdom, wise, wit, idol, wizard, evident, invisible, historian, visa, witty, revision, visibility, provision, vista, tabloid, prudent, steroid, guise, revue, envious, druid, revise, prudence, twit, vide, purview, voyeur, purveyor, 116 more
through Proto-Italic *wissos
through Latin vīsus ‘having been seen’
Today it means
verb To make something up or invent it as one goes on; to proceed guided only by imagination, intuition, and guesswork rather than by a careful plan.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyd- / improvise