probidad

Forms

probidad f (plural probidades)^[1]

Etymology

It is a learned borrowing, borrowed from Latin probĭtās (“uprightness, honesty”).^[2][3][4] Wiktionary analyses it instead as a Spanish formation from probo (“honest”) with the suffix -idad.^[1] The DCECH, however, finds the adjective in the Academy's dictionary only from 1884, while the noun was there already in 1817.^[3]

The Latin noun is formed from probus (“good, excellent”) with the suffix -tās.^[5][1] De Vaan traces the adjective to Proto-Italic *pro-f(w)-o- (“favourable”) and Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰ(h₂)u-o-, with cognates in Oscan and Umbrian.^[6]

The same Latin noun gave Portuguese probidade, Catalan probitat, French probité and Italian probità.^[7][8][1][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The CDH's first record is Enrique de Villena's Arte cisoria of 1423, which speaks of the twelve probidades that belong to every good man: Esta era contada en las doze probidades “this was counted among the twelve virtues”.^[10] DICCA-XV dates the same first record 1424, and the Latin–Spanish dictionary of Nebrija (1492) glosses Latin probitas as bondad “goodness”.^[11]

Semantic evolution

In the CDH it is common from the 1750s in legal and administrative prose, of officials and witnesses chosen for their honesty and experience.^[10] The first record from the Americas is from Lima in 1775, of a master who is hombre de probidad “a man of integrity”.^[12]

Terreros defined it as the goodness and natural rectitude by which a person avoids harming others.^[13] The Academy entered it in 1817 as goodness and rectitude of mind, added integrity and honesty in one's dealings in 1843, and gave the etymology from Latin probitas in 1884.^[14][15][16] The DLE now defines it simply as honesty, and Vox labels it formal.^[2][17]

Timeline

• 1423 – Enrique de Villena uses probidades in the Arte cisoria.^[10]
• 1492 – Nebrija's Latin–Spanish dictionary glosses Latin probitas as bondad.^[11]
• 1775 – first record from the Americas, in Lima.^[12]
• 1786–1793 – Terreros defines it as goodness and natural rectitude.^[13]
• 1817 – first entry in the Academy's dictionary.^[14][3]
• 1843 – the Academy adds integrity and honesty in one's conduct to the definition.^[15]
• 1884 – the Academy gives the etymology from Latin probitas.^[16]

Meanings

Noun

1. probity, honesty: moral integrity and uprightness in the way one acts;^[17][1] (formal): Nadie dudaba de la probidad del juez.^{[2][4][17][1]}

Related words

• probo
• ímprobo
• improbidad
• probar
• Latin probitas

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. probidad
3. ^ a b c Corominas, Joan; Pascual, José A. (1980–1991), Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, 6 vols., Madrid: Gredos, p. 4, 657
4. ^ a b Moliner, María (2007), Diccionario de uso del español, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. probidad
5. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
7. ^ Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. probidade
8. ^ Alcover, Antoni M.; Moll, Francesc de B. (1930–1962), Diccionari català-valencià-balear, 10 vols., Palma de Mallorca: Moll
9. ^ Segura Munguía, Santiago (2014), Lexicón etimológico y semántico del latín y de las voces actuales que proceden de raíces latinas o griegas, Bilbao: Universidad de Deusto, p. 618
10. ^ a b c Real Academia Española (2013–), Corpus del Diccionario histórico de la lengua española (CDH), version 3.1, https://apps.rae.es/CNDHE, p. s.v. probidad
11. ^ a b Lleal, Coloma (dir.), DICCA-XV: Diccionario del castellano del siglo XV en la Corona de Aragón, Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona, Grup d'Estudis d'Història de la Llengua (GHCL), https://ghcl.ub.edu/diccaxv, p. s.v. probidad
12. ^ a b Boyd-Bowman, Peter (2003), Léxico hispanoamericano 1493–1993, ed. Ray Harris-Northall and John J. Nitti, New York: Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies, p. s.v. probidad
13. ^ a b Terreros y Pando, Esteban de (1786–1793), Diccionario castellano con las voces de ciencias y artes y sus correspondientes de las tres lenguas francesa, latina e italiana, 4 vols., Madrid: Viuda de Ibarra, p. 3, 217
14. ^ a b Real Academia Española (1817), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 5th ed., Madrid: Imprenta Real, p. 705
15. ^ a b Real Academia Española (1843), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 9th ed., Madrid: Imprenta de D. Francisco María Fernández, p. 590
16. ^ a b Real Academia Española (1884), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 12th ed., Madrid: Imprenta de D. Gregorio Hernando (the first Academy edition with etymologies), p. 867
17. ^ a b c Battaner Arias, Paz (dir.) (2017), Diccionario general de la lengua española VOX, Barcelona: Larousse Editorial, p. s.v. probidad