English
severance
Severance comes from Old French sevrance ‘separation’, from Latin parō ‘to arrange’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pr̥h₃o-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr̥h₃o-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*paro-reconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEparō‘to arrange’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēparōas sēparāre, apophonic form‘to divide, separate’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*sēperārereconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sevrer‘to separate’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400sevrance‘separation’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500severaunce
- Englishearliest quotation 2026severance
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr̥h₃o-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*paro-reconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEparō‘to arrange’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēparōas sēparāre, apophonic form‘to divide, separate’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*sēperārereconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sevrer‘to separate’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400sevrance‘separation’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500severaunce
- Englishearliest quotation 2026severance
Earliest quotation: 2026, Mike Isaac, Meta to Lay Off 10 Percent of Work Force in A.I. Push: “Meta will notify employees who are being laid off…”
Formed from sever + -ance
Latin parāre ‘provide, arrange’
Latin separāre ‘to separate’
Vulgar Latin *sēperāre
Old French sevrer ‘to sever’
Middle English severen
English sever
Linked words
through Latin parō ‘to arrange’
empire, repair, preparation, emperor, imperial, apparel, apparatus, empress, parachute, preparatory, disparate, pare, rampart, imperium, imperious, reparation, imperator, 16 more
through Latin sēparō ‘to divide, separate’
separate, separation, inseparable, separator, separable, 2 more
Today it means
noun The act of severing or the state of being severed.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pr̥h₃o- / severance