English
pragmatic
Pragmatic comes from Late Latin pragmaticus ‘relating to civil affair’, from Ancient Greek πρᾶγμα ‘a thing done, a fact’, 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 BCEπράσσωprássō‘to do’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπρᾶγμαprâgma‘a thing done, a fact’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπραγματικόςpragmatikós‘active, versed in affairs’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEpragmaticus‘relating to civil affair’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600pragmatique
- Englishearliest quotation 1854pragmatic
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 BCEπράσσωprássō‘to do’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπρᾶγμαprâgma‘a thing done, a fact’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπραγματικόςpragmatikós‘active, versed in affairs’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEpragmaticus‘relating to civil affair’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600pragmatique
- Englishearliest quotation 1854pragmatic
Earliest quotation: 1854, J. G., On the Dating of Ancient History: “Polybius’s pragmatic history is simply the history of affairs,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to go over, cross’
first, before, support, far, per, report, further, press, fear, opportunity, private, price, port, pre, prior, prime, afford, primary, ford, appreciate, practice, forth, pregnant, prize, precious, par, privilege, ferry, parade, praise, fare, practical, interpretation, porch, pardon, pirate, prix, primitive, peril, interpreter, 155 more
through Proto-Indo-European *pr̥h₂-k-yé-ti
through Ancient Greek πράσσω ‘to do’
Today it means
adj Practical, concerned with making decisions and actions that are useful in practice, not just theory.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / pragmatic