English
invincible
Invincible comes from Latin invincibilis ‘unconquerable’, from vincibilis ‘conquerable’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- ‘to overcome’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyk-‘to overcome’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*winékti ~ *winkéntireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*winkō‘to conquer, overcome’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvincōas vincere‘to conquer’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvincibilis‘conquerable’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvincibilis‘unconquerable’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600invincible
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyk-‘to overcome’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*winékti ~ *winkéntireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*winkō‘to conquer, overcome’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvincōas vincere‘to conquer’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvincibilis‘conquerable’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvincibilis‘unconquerable’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600invincible
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “You know our armie is inuincible: As many circumcized…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyk- ‘to overcome’
victim, weakness, icon, witch, victor, wicked, province, wo, wight, vicar, weakly, wile, waw, ancona, 32 more
through Latin vincō ‘to conquer’
victory, conviction, convince, victorious, eviction, convict, evict, vanquish, 9 more
Today it means
adj Impossible to defeat, destroy, or kill; too powerful to be defeated or overcome.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyk- / invincible