Etymograph

English

precaution

Precaution comes from Late Latin praecautiō, from praecaveō ‘to take care or heed, take precautions, beware’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- ‘to perceive’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kewh₁-‘to perceive’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kowh₁éyeti‘to perceive’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kaweō‘to beware, to be mindful of’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaveō‘avoid, take care’
  5. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEpraecaveō‘to take care or heed, take precautions, beware’
  6. Late Latin, derivedc. 200–600 CEpraecautiō
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentprécaution
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1955precaution

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kewh₁-‘to perceive’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kowh₁éyeti‘to perceive’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kaweō‘to beware, to be mindful of’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaveō‘avoid, take care’
  5. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEpraecaveō‘to take care or heed, take precautions, beware’
  6. Late Latin, derivedc. 200–600 CEpraecautiō
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentprécaution
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1955precaution

Earliest quotation: 1955, H. A. Vallance, The Highland Centenary—2: “Despite all these precautions, however, severe storms sometimes caused…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- ‘to perceive’

show, kudos, sheen, scone, 13 more

through Proto-Italic *kaweō ‘to beware, to be mindful of’

caveat

through Latin caveō ‘avoid, take care’

cave, 1 more

Today it means

noun Previous caution or care; caution previously employed to prevent misfortune or to secure good.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- / precaution

Shirt and support for this word