Etymograph

English

probation

Probation comes from Latin probatio ‘a trying, inspection, examination’, from probō ‘to approve, permit, commend’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰH-wó-s ‘being in front’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pro-bʰH-wó-s1‘being in front’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*proβāō1‘to approve’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobō2as probare‘to approve, permit, commend’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobatio2‘a trying, inspection, examination’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400probacion2
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600probation2
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500probacioun2‘a trial or probational period’
  8. Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602probation2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin probo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English probation
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “And then it started like a guilty thing /…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pro-bʰH-wó-sWiktionary, Latin probo‘being in front’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*proβāōWiktionary, Latin probo‘to approve’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobōWiktionary, English probationas probare‘to approve, permit, commend’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobatioWiktionary, English probation‘a trying, inspection, examination’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400probacionWiktionary, English probation
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600probationWiktionary, English probation
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500probaciounWiktionary, English probation‘a trial or probational period’
  8. Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602probationWiktionary, English probation. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “And then it started like a guilty thing /…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰH-wó-s ‘being in front’

probe, probity, 5 more

through Proto-Italic *proβāō ‘to approve’

approve, 14 more

through Latin probō ‘to approve, permit, commend’

improve, prove, proof, probability, 15 more

Today it means

noun A period of time when a person occupies a position only conditionally and may be removed if certain conditions are not met.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “probation”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin probo. 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 *pro-bʰH-wó-s / probation

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