Etymograph

English

usual

Usual comes from Old French usuel, from Latin ūsuālis ‘for use, customary’, from ūsus ‘use’, from ūtor ‘to use’, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *h₃eyt- ‘to fetch’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃eyt-‘to take along, fetch’uncertain
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*oitōrreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEūtor‘to use’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEūsus‘use, practice’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEūsuālis‘for use’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400usuel
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500usual‘customary’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1625same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃eyt-‘to take along, fetch’uncertain
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*oitōrreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEūtor‘to use’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEūsus‘use, practice’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEūsuālis‘for use’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400usuel
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500usual‘customary’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1625same form

Earliest quotation: 1625, Samuel Purchas, A Diſcourſe of the Kingdome of China: “And ſince this Family, called Ciu, which now holdeth…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₃eyt- ‘to take along, fetch’

utilization, usable, utilisation, 7 more

through Latin ūtī ‘to use’

utility, utilize, utilise

through Latin ūsus ‘use, habit, custom’

use, useless, usury, 1 more

Today it means

adj Most commonly occurring; typical.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃eyt- / usual

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