English
pragma
Pragma comes from Ancient Greek πρᾶγμα ‘a thing done, a fact’, from πρᾱ́σσω ‘I do, practice’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to go over, cross’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to go over, cross’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr̥h₂-k-yé-tireconstructed*k-enlargement of *per-
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπρᾱ́σσω‘I do, practice’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπρᾶγμαprâgma‘a thing done, a fact’
- Englishearliest quotation 1939pragma
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to go over, cross’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr̥h₂-k-yé-tireconstructed*k-enlargement of *per-
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπρᾱ́σσω‘I do, practice’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπρᾶγμαprâgma‘a thing done, a fact’
- Englishearliest quotation 1939pragma
Earliest quotation: 1939, Jacques Barzun, Of Human Freedom: “At any given minute, we must choose between habitual…”
The story
In the technical senses perhaps a back-formation from pragmatic or a clipping of pragmat used earlier in ALGOL.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to go over, cross’
first, before, support, far, per, report, further, private, price, fear, opportunity, press, port, practice, pre, prior, afford, appreciate, prime, ford, primary, forth, pregnant, prize, par, precious, practical, interpretation, ferry, privilege, fare, parade, porch, praise, pardon, pirate, primitive, prix, peril, interpreter, 155 more
through Proto-Indo-European *pr̥h₂-k-yé-ti
through Ancient Greek πρᾱ́σσω ‘I do, practice’
Today it means
noun A compiler directive; data embedded in source code by programmers to indicate some intention to a compiler.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / pragma