English
profit
Profit comes from Old French profit, from Latin prōfectus ‘progress, profit’, from prōficiō ‘to advance, benefit’, from prō- + faciō ‘to make’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō‘to make, do’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōficiō‘to advance; to benefit, profit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōfectus‘advance, progress, profit’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400profit
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō‘to make, do’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōficiō‘to advance; to benefit, profit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōfectus‘advance, progress, profit’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400profit
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice: “if you dare do yourself a profit and a…”
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *θakjō
effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, affectionate, imperfection, putrefaction, 63 more
through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’
effective, factor, difficulty, interface, perfection, manufacture, affection, faction, imperfect, facet, affective, defection, defector, effector, deface, affectation, confectionary, 69 more
through Latin faciō ‘make, construct’
face, fact, perfect, effect, difficult, feature, affect, facility, infection, faculty, affair, efficient, sacrifice, facial, feat, facilitate, defect, deficit, fetish, efficacy, facade, superficial, infect, counterfeit, deficient, facsimile, façade, hacienda, maleficent, beautify, confection, facies, aficionado, efficacious, refectory, parfait, difficile, beneficent, confit, 86 more
Today it means
noun Total income or cash flow minus expenditures. The money or other benefit a non-governmental organization or individual receives in exchange for products and services sold at an advertised price.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- / profit