English
probate
Probate comes from Latin probatus ‘tested, inspected, having been tested’, from probō ‘to test, examine, judge of’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰH-wó-s ‘being in front’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pro-bʰH-wó-s‘being in front’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*proβāō‘to approve’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobōas probare, past participle‘to test, examine, judge of’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobatus‘tested, inspected, having been tested’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500probate
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1529probate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pro-bʰH-wó-s‘being in front’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*proβāō‘to approve’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobōas probare, past participle‘to test, examine, judge of’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobatus‘tested, inspected, having been tested’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500probate
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1529probate
Earliest quotation: a. 1529, John Skelton: “Macrobius that did trete Of Scipions dreme what was…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰH-wó-s ‘being in front’
through Proto-Italic *proβāō ‘to approve’
through Latin probō ‘to test, examine, judge of’
Today it means
noun The legal process of verifying the legality of a will.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰH-wó-s / probate