English
prudent
Prudent comes from Latin prūdēns ‘wise, prudent’, from prōvidēns ‘foresight’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*widéh₁yetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*widēō‘to see’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvideō‘to see, perceive’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōvideō‘to foresee’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōvidēns‘foresight’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprūdēns‘wise, prudent’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400prudent
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1611same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*widéh₁yetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*widēō‘to see’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvideō‘to see, perceive’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōvideō‘to foresee’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōvidēns‘foresight’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprūdēns‘wise, prudent’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400prudent
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1611same form
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “A prudent man foreſeeth the euill, and hideth himſelfe:…”
The story
Unrelated to prude.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’
story, guy, idea, advice, witness, guide, wise, historic, wisdom, advise, wit, idol, wizard, historian, witty, guise, visitation, steroid, tabloid, revue, envious, envision, avis, improvise, druid, twit, hypothyroidism, idyll, witter, hyperthyroidism, parathyroid, trapezoid, hyoid, colloid, weet, visite, sigmoid, thyroxine, thyroiditis, 93 more
through Proto-Italic *widēō ‘to see’
revision, invisibility, vada, evidential, providential, 15 more
through Latin videō ‘to see, perceive’
video, review, visit, evidence, interview, vision, visa, invisible, visibility, vista, revise, evident, providence, voyeur, vide, invidious, 15 more
through Latin prōvideō ‘to foresee’
provide, provision, purview, purveyor, proviso, 8 more
through Latin prōvidēns ‘foresight’
through Latin prūdēns ‘wise, prudent’
Today it means
adj Sagacious in adapting means to ends; circumspect in action, or in determining any line of conduct.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyd- / prudent