English
précis
Précis comes from French précis ‘summary’, from Latin praecīsus ‘cut off’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂eyd-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kh₂eyd-‘to cut, hew’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kh₂éydetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kaidō‘to cut, hew, fell’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaedō‘to cut, hew, fell’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraecīdō‘shorten’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraecīsus‘cut off’perfect passive participle of praecīdō
- Frenchc. 1600–presentprécis‘summary’
- Englishearliest quotation 1891same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kh₂eyd-‘to cut, hew’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kh₂éydetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kaidō‘to cut, hew, fell’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaedō‘to cut, hew, fell’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraecīdō‘shorten’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraecīsus‘cut off’perfect passive participle of praecīdō
- Frenchc. 1600–presentprécis‘summary’
- Englishearliest quotation 1891same form
Earliest quotation: 1891, Oscar Wilde, London; New York: “I know she goes in for giving a rapid…”
The story
Borrowed from French précis (‘summary’), from a substantive use of its adjectival sense "precise".
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kh₂eyd- ‘to cut, hew’
through Proto-Italic *kaidō ‘to cut, hew, fell’
through Latin caedō ‘to cut, hew, fell’
decision, cement, concise, circumcision, incision, chisel, scissor, incisive, excision, caesium, incisor, 26 more
through Latin praecīsus ‘cut off’
Today it means
noun A summary or brief: a concise or abridged statement or view.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kh₂eyd- / précis