Etymograph

English

providential

Providential comes from Latin prōvidentia ‘providence’, from prōvidēns ‘foreseeing’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*widéh₁yetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*widēō‘to see’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvideō‘to see, perceive’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōvideō‘to foresee’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōvidēns‘foreseeing’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōvidentia‘providence’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1913providential

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*widéh₁yetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*widēō‘to see’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvideō‘to see, perceive’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōvideō‘to foresee’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōvidēns‘foreseeing’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōvidentia‘providence’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1913providential

Earliest quotation: 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan: “Why, Jane,” he cried, “what do you mean? What…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’

story, guy, idea, advice, witness, wise, historic, guide, wisdom, wit, advise, wizard, historian, idol, witty, guise, tabloid, visitation, revue, steroid, envious, envision, druid, twit, avis, improvise, hypothyroidism, witter, idyll, trapezoid, hyperthyroidism, weet, parathyroid, hyoid, colloid, thyroxine, visite, sigmoid, thyroiditis, 95 more

through Proto-Italic *widēō ‘to see’

revision, invisibility, vada, evidential, 17 more

through Latin videō ‘to see, perceive’

review, video, visit, interview, evidence, vision, invisible, visa, visibility, vista, revise, evident, voyeur, vide, invidious, 16 more

through Latin prōvideō ‘to foresee’

provision, purview, purveyor, prudential, 8 more

through Latin prōvidēns ‘foreseeing’

prudent, jurisprudence, prudence, 2 more

Today it means

adj Pertaining to divine providence.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyd- / providential

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