English
argumentum
Argumentum comes from Latin argūmentum ‘argument’, from arguō ‘to clarify, to make plain’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- ‘white, shining’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂erǵ-1‘white, shining’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂érǵus1reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*argus1uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEarguō1‘to clarify, to make plain’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEargūmentum1‘argument’
- Englishearliest quotation 1682argumentum1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English argumentum
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1682, Sir Edward Coke, Argumentum Anti-Normannicum: “Argumentum anti-Normannicum: or, An argument proving, from ancient histories…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂erǵ-Wiktionary, English argumentum‘white, shining’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂érǵusWiktionary, English argumentumreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*argusWiktionary, English argumentumuncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEarguōWiktionary, English argumentum‘to clarify, to make plain’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEargūmentumWiktionary, English argumentum‘argument’
- Englishearliest quotation 1682argumentumWiktionary, English argumentum. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1682, Sir Edward Coke, Argumentum Anti-Normannicum: “Argumentum anti-Normannicum: or, An argument proving, from ancient histories…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- ‘white, shining’
through Latin arguō ‘to clarify, to make plain’
Today it means
noun An argument or appeal, especially as used in various Latin phrases.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “argumentum”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- / argumentum