Etymograph

English

temperance

Temperance comes from Latin temperantia ‘moderation, sobriety, discretion, self-control’, from temperans ‘tempering’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *temp- ‘to stretch, string’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*temp-1‘to stretch, string’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tempos2‘stretch’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperō3as temperare, present participle‘to moderate’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperans3‘tempering’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperantia3‘moderation, sobriety, discretion, self-control’
  6. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400temperance3
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602temperance3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Italic *tempos
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin tempero
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English temperance
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “[…] in the verie Torrent, Tempeſt, and (as I…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*temp-Wiktionary, Proto-Italic *tempos‘to stretch, string’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*temposWiktionary, Latin tempero‘stretch’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperōWiktionary, English temperanceas temperare, present participle‘to moderate’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperansWiktionary, English temperance‘tempering’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtemperantiaWiktionary, English temperance‘moderation, sobriety, discretion, self-control’
  6. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400temperanceWiktionary, English temperance
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602temperanceWiktionary, English temperance. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “[…] in the verie Torrent, Tempeſt, and (as I…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *temp- ‘to stretch, string’

antenna, temporal, contemplate, contemplation, templar, contemporaneous, 25 more

through Proto-Italic *tempos ‘stretch’

contemporary, temple, temporary, tense, template, tempo, matin, tempura, 20 more

through Latin temperō ‘to moderate’

tamper, 8 more

Today it means

noun Habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “temperance”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Italic *tempos, Latin tempero. 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 *temp- / temperance

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