English
temperate
Temperate comes from Latin temperātus ‘qualified, tempered, moderated’, from Proto-Italic *tempos ‘stretch’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *temp-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*temp-‘to stretch, string’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tempos‘stretch’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperō‘to moderate, forbear, combine properly’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperātus‘qualified, tempered, moderated’perfect passive participle of temperō
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1592temperate
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 CEtemperō‘to moderate, forbear, combine properly’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperātus‘qualified, tempered, moderated’perfect passive participle of temperō
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1592temperate
Earliest quotation: c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew: “She is not hot, but temperate as the morn.”
first attested first attested in 1380 (as stated in the etymology)
The story
The adjective is first attested in 1380, in Middle English, the verb in 1540; borrowed from Latin temperātus, perfect passive participle of temperō (‘to moderate, forbear, combine properly’), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *temp- ‘to stretch, string’
antenna, temporal, contemplate, contemplation, templar, contemporaneous, 25 more
through Proto-Italic *tempos ‘stretch’
contemporary, temple, temporary, tense, tempo, template, matin, tempura, 20 more
through Latin temperō ‘to moderate, forbear, combine properly’
Today it means
adj Moderate; not excessive.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *temp- / temperate