English
probability
Probability comes from Latin probābilitās ‘probability, credibility’, from probō ‘to approve, permit, commend’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- ‘to be, become, grow, appear’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-‘to be, become, grow, appear’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*probʰHwósreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*proβwosreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*proβos‘favourable’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*proβāō‘to approve’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobō‘to approve, permit, commend’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobābilis‘probable, credible’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobābilitās‘probability, credibility’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600probabilité
- Englishearliest quotation 1610probability
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-‘to be, become, grow, appear’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*probʰHwósreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*proβwosreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*proβos‘favourable’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*proβāō‘to approve’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobō‘to approve, permit, commend’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobābilis‘probable, credible’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobābilitās‘probability, credibility’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600probabilité
- Englishearliest quotation 1610probability
Earliest quotation: 1610, William Camden, Scoti: “For, a man may with as great probability derive…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- ‘to be, become, grow, appear’
be, been, power, possible, future, present, physical, build, essential, bond, presence, bush, bound, contribution, absence, physician, booth, absent, entity, distribute, contributor, favorable, fiat, bun, bouquet, favourable, retribution, attribution, imp, rebuke, impotent, bower, aren, beamer, bosque, phylogeny, physic, impossibility, phylum, busk, 82 more
through Proto-Italic *proβos ‘favourable’
through Proto-Italic *proβāō ‘to approve’
through Latin probō ‘to approve, permit, commend’
Today it means
noun The state of being probable.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- / probability