English
temperament
Temperament comes from Latin temperāmentum ‘a moderation, proper proportion, balance,…’, from tempus ‘a time’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *temp- ‘to stretch, string’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*temp-‘to stretch, string’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tempos‘stretch’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtempus‘a time’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CE*temposreconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperō‘to temper, apportion, regulate, be moderate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperāmentum‘a moderation, proper proportion, balance, equilibrium’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600tempérament
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500temperament
- Englishearliest quotation 1624same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*temp-‘to stretch, string’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tempos‘stretch’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtempus‘a time’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CE*temposreconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperō‘to temper, apportion, regulate, be moderate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperāmentum‘a moderation, proper proportion, balance, equilibrium’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600tempérament
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500temperament
- Englishearliest quotation 1624same form
Earliest quotation: 1624, John Donne, Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions: “If I will aske meere Philosophers, what the soule…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *temp- ‘to stretch, string’
antenna, contemplate, contemplation, templar, contemporaneously, 23 more
through Proto-Italic *tempos ‘stretch’
contemporary, temporal, contemporaneous, 17 more
through Latin tempus ‘a time’
temple, temporary, tense, template, tempo, matin, tempestuous, 14 more
through Latin *tempos
through Latin temperō ‘to temper, apportion, regulate, be moderate’
Today it means
noun A person's usual manner of thinking, behaving or reacting.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *temp- / temperament