Etymograph

English

visibility

Visibility comes from Latin vīsibilis ‘that may be seen, visible’, from videō ‘see’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*widéh₁yetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*widēō‘to see’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvideō‘see’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvīsibilis‘that may be seen, visible’
  6. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEvisibilitas
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600visibilité
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1791visibility

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*widéh₁yetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*widēō‘to see’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvideō‘see’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvīsibilis‘that may be seen, visible’
  6. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEvisibilitas
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600visibilité
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1791visibility

Earliest quotation: 1791, James Boswell, Life of Johnson: “‘Sir, I have seen all the visibilities of Paris,…”

Formed from visible + -ity

Latin videō ‘to see’

Late Latin visibilis ‘that may be seen’

Old French visible

Middle English visible

English visible

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’

story, guy, idea, guide, advice, witness, historic, wise, wisdom, idol, wizard, historian, advise, wit, steroid, guise, tabloid, witty, revue, envious, druid, visitation, improvise, envision, hypothyroidism, twit, avis, idyll, parathyroid, trapezoid, hyoid, witter, hyperthyroidism, colloid, weet, thyroxine, sigmoid, thyroiditis, visite, 92 more

through Proto-Indo-European *widéh₁yeti

providential, 13 more

through Proto-Italic *widēō ‘to see’

provision, providence, revision, prudential, jurisprudence, provident, vada, evidential, 15 more

through Latin videō ‘see’

video, provide, evidence, review, interview, visit, vision, evident, visa, prudent, vista, revise, prudence, vide, purview, voyeur, purveyor, proviso, invidious, 18 more

through Latin vīsibilis ‘that may be seen, visible’

invisible, 2 more

Today it means

noun The condition of being visible.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyd- / visibility

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