English
sic
Sic comes from Latin sīc ‘thus, so’, from sī ‘if, supposing that’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *só ‘this’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*só‘this’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sei‘thus, so’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsī‘if, supposing that’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsīce
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsīc‘thus, so’
- Englishearliest quotation 1887sic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*só‘this’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sei‘thus, so’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsī‘if, supposing that’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsīce
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsīc‘thus, so’
- Englishearliest quotation 1887sic
Earliest quotation: 1887, E. Belfort Bax, On Some Forms of Modern Cant: “The fact is, of course, that the modern reviewer’s…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *só ‘this’
then, these, soon, thereabouts, 6 more
through Proto-Italic *sei ‘thus, so’
contamination, tandem, contaminate, contaminant, tanto, 1 more
Today it means
adv Thus; as written; used to indicate, for example, that text is being quoted as it is from the source.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *só / sic