English
protoculture
Protoculture comes from Latin cultūra ‘care, cultivation’, from Proto-Italic *kʷelō ‘to inhabit’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁- ‘to turn’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷelh₁-‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷélh₁etireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kʷelō‘to inhabit’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcolō‘to cultivate the land, till, tend, take care of a field or garden’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcultūra‘care, cultivation’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600culture
- English1500–presentsame form
- Englishearliest quotation 1981protoculture
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷelh₁-‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷélh₁etireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kʷelō‘to inhabit’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcolō‘to cultivate the land, till, tend, take care of a field or garden’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcultūra‘care, cultivation’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600culture
- English1500–presentsame form
- Englishearliest quotation 1981protoculture
Earliest quotation: 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology: “Life in this primitive condition of nature is not,…”
A compound of proto- + culture
Proto-Indo-European *pér ‘through’
Proto-Indo-European *pró ‘forwards, before’
Proto-Hellenic *pró
Ancient Greek πρό ‘before’
Ancient Greek πρῶτος ‘first’
English proto-
Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁- ‘to turn’
…
Latin colō ‘to till, cultivate’
Latin cultus ‘tilled, cultivated’
Latin cultūra ‘cultivation’
Middle French culture ‘cultivation; culture’
English culture
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *kʷelō ‘to inhabit’
cultivation, cultivate, 64 more
through Latin colō ‘to cultivate the land, till, tend, take care…’
through Latin cultūra ‘care, cultivation’
through English culture
Today it means
noun A base or root culture that serves as the basis for later distinct recognised cultural traditions.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁- / protoculture