English
platitude
Platitude comes from French platitude ‘flatness’, from plat ‘flat’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleth₂-‘flat’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pléth₂us‘flat, broad’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*plətús‘wide, broad’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλατύςplatús‘broad, flat’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*plattus‘flattened’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400plat‘flat’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘flat’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘flat’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentplatitude‘flatness’
- Englishearliest quotation 1918same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleth₂-‘flat’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pléth₂us‘flat, broad’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*plətús‘wide, broad’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλατύςplatús‘broad, flat’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*plattus‘flattened’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400plat‘flat’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘flat’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘flat’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentplatitude‘flatness’
- Englishearliest quotation 1918same form
Earliest quotation: 1918, Algernon Blackwood: “Beauty, I suppose, opens the heart, extends the consciousness.…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- ‘flat’
flat, lateral, piazza, plantain, flan, 14 more
through Proto-Hellenic *plətús ‘wide, broad’
through Ancient Greek πλατύς ‘broad, flat’
through Vulgar Latin *plattus ‘flattened’
through Old French plat ‘flat’
through French plat ‘flat’
Today it means
noun An often-quoted saying that is supposed to be meaningful but has become unoriginal or hackneyed through overuse.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- / platitude