Etymograph

English

probe

Probe comes from Latin probare ‘to test, examine, prove’, from probus ‘good’, 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*proβos‘favourable’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobus‘good’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobare‘to test, examine, prove’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1827probe

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*proβos‘favourable’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobus‘good’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobare‘to test, examine, prove’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1827probe

Earliest quotation: 1827, Henry Hallam, London: John Murray: “the growing disposition to probe the legality of all…”

The story

For verb: borrowed from Latin probare (‘to test, examine, prove’), from probus (‘good’). For noun: borrowed from Late Latin proba (‘a proof’), from probare (‘to test, examine, prove’); Doublet of proof.

Linked words

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

proof, probation, probable, probate, probative, 2 more

through Proto-Italic *proβos ‘favourable’

improve, approve, probability, approbation, 8 more

through Latin probus ‘good’

prove, probity

Today it means

noun Any of various medical instruments used to explore wounds, organs, etc.

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

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

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