English
partial
Partial comes from Old French parcial ‘biased or particular’, from Late Latin partiālis ‘of or pertaining to a part’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *partis.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*partis‘part’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpars‘part’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEpartiālis‘of or pertaining to a part’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400parcial‘biased or particular’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500partiall
- Englishearliest quotation 1815partial
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*partis‘part’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpars‘part’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEpartiālis‘of or pertaining to a part’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400parcial‘biased or particular’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500partiall
- Englishearliest quotation 1815partial
Earliest quotation: 1815, Walter Scott, Guy Mannering; or: “not partial to an ostentatious display”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- ‘to grant’
empire, experiment, expert, repair, preparation, imperial, para, parental, parity, imperium, imperious, pare, rampart, 40 more
through Latin pars ‘part’
party, parcel, depart, parse, impart, repartee, parter, 21 more
Today it means
adj Existing as a part or portion; incomplete.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *partis / partial