Etymograph

English

probative

Probative comes from Latin probātīvus ‘belonging to proof’, from probō ‘show, prove, demonstrate’, 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‘show, prove, demonstrate’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobātīvus2‘belonging to proof’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400probatif2
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500probatiffe2
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1999probative2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin probo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English probative
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1999, Dana Stabenow, Hunter's Moon: “The judge had granted the DA a one-week extension…”.

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 probativeas probare‘show, prove, demonstrate’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprobātīvusWiktionary, English probative‘belonging to proof’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400probatifWiktionary, English probative
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500probatiffeWiktionary, English probative
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1999probativeWiktionary, English probative. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1999, Dana Stabenow, Hunter's Moon: “The judge had granted the DA a one-week extension…”

first attested First attested in the mid-15th century (as stated in Wiktionary’s etymology)

The story

First attested in the mid-15th century.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

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

probe, probity, 5 more

through Proto-Italic *proβāō ‘to approve’

approve, 13 more

through Latin probō ‘show, prove, demonstrate’

proof, improve, prove, probability, approbation, 14 more

Today it means

adj Tending to prove a particular proposition or to persuade someone of the truth of an allegation.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “probative”; 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 / probative

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