English
propriety
Propriety comes from Latin proprietās ‘quality, property, peculiarity, character’, and goes back to proprius.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEproprius‘appropriate to oneself: (one's) proper, (one's) own (inalienably)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEproprietās‘quality, property, peculiarity, character’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400propreté
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500proprietee
- Englishearliest quotation 1671propriety
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEproprius‘appropriate to oneself: (one's) proper, (one's) own (inalienably)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEproprietās‘quality, property, peculiarity, character’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400propreté
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500proprietee
- Englishearliest quotation 1671propriety
Earliest quotation: 1671, Thomas Watson, The Beatitudes: “This ſweet word, I will be your God, implies,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *preyH- ‘to please’
through Proto-Indo-European *priHós ‘dear’
through Proto-Italic *pro-
purchase, improper, protrude, 6 more
through Latin proprius ‘appropriate to oneself: (one's) proper,…’
properly, proper, appropriation, reproach, 8 more
through Latin proprietās ‘quality, property, peculiarity, character’
Today it means
noun The particular character or essence of someone or something; individuality.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin proprius / propriety