English
problematic
Problematic comes from Ancient Greek προβληματικός ‘of or for a problem, problematic’, and goes back to προβάλλω ‘I throw, place before’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπροβάλλωprobállō‘I throw, place before’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπρόβλημαpróblēma‘outjutting, barrier, problem’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπροβληματικόςproblēmatikós‘of or for a problem, problematic’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEproblematicus
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600problématique
- Englishearliest quotation 1992problematic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπροβάλλωprobállō‘I throw, place before’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπρόβλημαpróblēma‘outjutting, barrier, problem’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπροβληματικόςproblēmatikós‘of or for a problem, problematic’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEproblematicus
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600problématique
- Englishearliest quotation 1992problematic
Earliest quotation: 1992, Mary Romero, Intersection of Biography and History: My Intellectual Journ: “The strangeness of hiring undocumented Mexican women as domestics,…”
A compound of πρό ‘before’ + βάλλω ‘I throw, place’
Proto-Indo-European *pró ‘forwards, before’
Proto-Hellenic *pró
Ancient Greek πρό ‘before’
Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’
Proto-Indo-European *gʷl̥-ne-h₁-
Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō
Ancient Greek βάλλω ‘I throw, place’
Every English word from Ancient Greek προβάλλω
Today it means
adj Posing a problem; having or suffering from problem(s): Difficult to overcome, solve, or decide.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek προβάλλω / problematic