Etymograph

English

incubate

Incubate comes from Latin incubō ‘to hatch’, from Proto-Italic *enkubāō ‘to lie in’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱewb-root as named
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁én‘in’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*en‘in’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*en-‘in, into, in-’reconstructed
  5. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*kubāō‘to lie down’reconstructed
  6. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*enkubāō‘to lie in’reconstructed
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEincubō‘to hatch’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEincubātus
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1907incubate

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱewb-root as named
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁én‘in’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*en‘in’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*en-‘in, into, in-’reconstructed
  5. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*kubāō‘to lie down’reconstructed
  6. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*enkubāō‘to lie in’reconstructed
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEincubō‘to hatch’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEincubātus
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1907incubate

Earliest quotation: 1907, Nesting Habits of the Passenger Pigeon: “The places where the birds are nesting are interesting…”

first attested First attested in 1641 (as stated in the etymology)

The story

First attested in 1641; borrowed from Latin incubātus, an alternative to incubitus, perfect passive participle of incubō (‘to hatch’) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from in- (‘in’) + cubō (‘to lie’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb-

hip, cove, incumbent, succumb, hobble, shoop, concubine, 14 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₁én ‘in’

in, internal, entrance, indigenous, intern, endo, dysentery, interregnum, enteral, 33 more

through Proto-Italic *en ‘in’

encounter, ensemble, intimate, intestine, agog, intimation, 9 more

through Proto-Italic *en- ‘in, into, in-’

impulse, infirmary, incense, infirm, impel, censer, 8 more

through Proto-Italic *kubāō ‘to lie down’

covid, cube, cubicle, succubus, cubit, 18 more

Today it means

verb To brood, raise, or maintain eggs, organisms, or living tissue through the provision of ideal environmental conditions.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb- / incubate

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