English
prophetic
Prophetic comes from Ancient Greek προφητικός ‘oracular, prophetic’, from φημί ‘to say’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak, say’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéh₂ti‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰā́mi‘to speak’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφημί‘to say’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπροφήτης‘prophet’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπροφητικόςprophētikós‘oracular, prophetic’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprophēticus
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600prophétique
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602prophetic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak, say’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéh₂ti‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰā́mi‘to speak’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφημί‘to say’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπροφήτης‘prophet’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπροφητικόςprophētikós‘oracular, prophetic’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprophēticus
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600prophétique
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602prophetic
Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet: “[Ghost] But know thou noble Youth: he that did…”
Formed from prophet + -ic
Ancient Greek προφήτης ‘one who speaks for a god’
Latin prophēta ‘prophet, soothsayer’
Anglo-Norman prophete
Middle English prophete ‘a prophet’
English prophet
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to speak, say’
phone, focus, famous, fuel, ben, professor, favor, favourite, ban, fantasy, phase, fate, fancy, fame, fatal, bee, fairy, emphasis, abandon, photographer, infant, confession, profession, confess, phenomenon, beacon, beck, symphony, phantom, boon, fay, bane, foyer, banish, buoy, epiphany, nefarious, fantasia, bene, banal, 125 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰéh₂ti ‘to speak’
Today it means
adj Having the ability to prophesize; prescient.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / prophetic