Etymograph

English

prove

Prove comes from Old English prōfian, from Latin probō ‘to test, prove’, from probus ‘good’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰuH-s ‘being in front’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pro-bʰuH-s‘being in front’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobus‘good, excellent’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobō‘to test; to approve’
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*prōbōnreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150prōfian‘to esteem; to test, prove’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500proven
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1577prove

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pro-bʰuH-s‘being in front’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobus‘good, excellent’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobō‘to test; to approve’
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*prōbōnreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150prōfian‘to esteem; to test, prove’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500proven
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1577prove

Earliest quotation: 1577, Socrates Scholasticus [i.e., Socrates of Constantinople]: “[VV]e are able with playne demonſtration to proue, and…”

A compound of *pro- ‘toward’ + *bʰuH- ‘to be’

Linked words

through Latin probus ‘good, worthy, excellent’

probe, probity

through Latin probō ‘test, try, examine, approve, show to be good…’

proof, probability, probation, probable, probate, probative, 13 more

Today it means

verb To demonstrate that something is true or viable; to give proof for; to bear out; to testify.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰuH-s / prove

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