Etymograph

English

probation

Probation comes from Latin probatio ‘a trying, inspection, examination’, from probō ‘to approve, permit, commend’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰH-wó-s ‘being in front’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pro-bʰH-wó-s‘being in front’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*proβāō‘to approve’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobōas probare‘to approve, permit, commend’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobatio‘a trying, inspection, examination’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400probacion
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600probation
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500probacioun‘a trial or probational period’
  8. Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602probation

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pro-bʰH-wó-s‘being in front’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*proβāō‘to approve’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobōas probare‘to approve, permit, commend’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobatio‘a trying, inspection, examination’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400probacion
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600probation
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500probacioun‘a trial or probational period’
  8. Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602probation

Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “And then it started like a guilty thing /…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰH-wó-s ‘being in front’

probe, probity, 5 more

through Proto-Italic *proβāō ‘to approve’

approve, 14 more

through Latin probō ‘to approve, permit, commend’

improve, prove, proof, probability, 15 more

Today it means

noun A period of time when a person occupies a position only conditionally and may be removed if certain conditions are not met.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰH-wó-s / probation

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