English
properness
Properness comes from Latin proprius ‘appropriate to oneself: (one's) proper,…’, and goes back to Proto-Italic *proprijos.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*proprijosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEproprius‘appropriate to oneself: (one's) proper, (one's) own (inalienably)’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400propre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- English1500–presentproper
- Englishearliest quotation 1945properness
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*proprijosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEproprius‘appropriate to oneself: (one's) proper, (one's) own (inalienably)’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400propre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- English1500–presentproper
- Englishearliest quotation 1945properness
Earliest quotation: 1945, John Steinbeck: “The kind of women who put papers on shelves…”
A compound of *pro- ‘pro-’ + *prijos
Proto-Indo-European *pro- ‘toward, forward’
Proto-Italic *pro- ‘pro-’
Proto-Indo-European *preyH- ‘to please’
Proto-Indo-European *priHós ‘pleased’
Proto-Italic *prijos
Linked words
through Latin proprius ‘appropriate to oneself: (one's) proper,…’
Today it means
noun The state or condition of being proper; propriety.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *proprijos / properness