improbabilis

Forms

improbābilis (neuter improbābile); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1][2] It was also spelled inprobābilis.^[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin in- + probābilis (“commendable, plausible”).^[1][3] The TLL prefers this analysis to a derivation from improbō (“to disapprove”).^[3] probābilis comes from probō (“to approve”), a verb from probus (“good”),^[4] which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *pro-f(w)-o- (“favourable”) and Proto-Indo-European *pro-*bʰ(h₂)u-o-.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Celsus has it in the preface of his work on medicine, where some reasonings are called “not unconvincing”.^[1][5]

Semantic evolution

The TLL and Lewis and Short note that it is found from Celsus and Seneca on, and that the reading at Cicero's Academica 2.33 is probabilem instead.^[3][2] Seneca used it of reprehensible impulses of the mind, Quintilian of a deed objectionable in itself,^[1][2] and Pliny the Elder of an unconvincing account.^[6][7] It is often used in litotes, “not improbable”.^[3] Medieval writers kept both senses, unacceptable and unlikely.^[8][9] English improbable (1590s) is from in- and probable or else from this Latin word.^[10]

Timeline

• 14–37 AD – Celsus calls certain reasonings “not unconvincing”.^[1][5]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of reprehensible impulses.^[1][5]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of an implausible account.^[6][7][5]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of an objectionable deed.^[1][5]
• 1590s – English has improbable, perhaps from this word.^[10]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Not deserving approval, culpable, objectionable.^[1][2]
2. Not plausible, unconvincing, improbable.^[1][7]

Related words

• improbus
• English improbable

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
8. ^ Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
9. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com