English
probableness
Probableness comes from Latin probabilis ‘likely, credible, probable, plausible’, 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 CEprobabilis‘likely, credible, probable, plausible’
- Englishearliest quotation 1872probableness
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
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 CEprobabilis‘likely, credible, probable, plausible’
- Englishearliest quotation 1872probableness
Earliest quotation: 1872, Batuk Lal, THE LAW OF EVIDENCE (The Indian Evidence Act: “…the probableness of the existence of that fact…”
Formed from probable + -ness
Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰH-wó-s ‘being in front’
…
Latin probō ‘to test, examine’
Latin probābilis ‘that may be proved, credible’
Old French probable
Middle English probable
English probable
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- ‘to be, become, grow, appear’
be, been, power, future, build, possible, physical, present, bond, bush, bound, contribution, presence, essential, physician, booth, absence, entity, distribute, contributor, absent, fiat, bun, favorable, bouquet, retribution, attribution, imp, favourable, rebuke, bower, impossibility, impotent, aren, beamer, bosque, physic, phylogeny, phylum, busk, 81 more
through Proto-Italic *proβos ‘favourable’
through Proto-Italic *proβāō ‘to approve’
through Latin probō ‘to approve, permit, commend’
improve, prove, proof, probation, probative, 13 more
through Latin probabilis ‘likely, credible, probable, plausible’
Today it means
noun The state or quality of being likely to occur; likelihood, probability.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- / probableness