English
modality
Modality comes from French modalité ‘modality, manner’, from Medieval Latin modālis ‘pertaining to a mode’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *med- ‘to measure’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*med-‘to measure’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mod-ós‘measure’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*modosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodus‘mode’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500modālis‘pertaining to a mode’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmodal
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentmodalité‘modality, manner’
- Englishearliest quotation 1997modality
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*med-‘to measure’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mod-ós‘measure’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*modosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodus‘mode’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500modālis‘pertaining to a mode’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmodal
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentmodalité‘modality, manner’
- Englishearliest quotation 1997modality
Earliest quotation: 1997, Christopher G. A. Bryant, David Jary: “Thus, the University budgeting system can be seen not…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *med- ‘to measure’
must, medical, medicine, medication, moderate, med, remedy, meditation, modest, blackmail, medic, moderator, meditate, molding, mete, modulate, mote, moulder, commode, 25 more
through Proto-Italic *modos
through Latin modus ‘mode’
model, modern, mode, mud, mood, mold, modification, module, mould, commodity, modulation, modus, modulus, modicum, modifiable, modulo, 18 more
Today it means
noun The fact of being modal.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *med- / modality