Etymologically
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provideo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [proːˈwɪ.de.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [proˈviː.de.o][1]

Forms

prōvideō (present infinitive prōvidēre, perfect active prōvīdī, supine prōvīsum); second conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin prō- + videō (“to see”).[2][1] Videō is *wid-ē- (“to see”), from Proto-Indo-European *uid-eh₁- (“to see”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has “I didn't see you before, my anger blinded me”.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to see in advance or in the distance, as Livy's place where one cannot see the goal from afar and Suetonius' ship sighted ahead.[2][5] It meant to foresee, as in Pacuvius, and to take steps beforehand, provide for or against something, as a marriage to be dealt with by cunning.[2]

Without an object it meant to take precautions, as Cicero's “to look ahead as far as possible”.[2] It also meant to make available, supply, as Cicero's Laws ordering the right victims for each god.[2] Romance kept it, as Italian provvedere and French pourvoir.[1] English provide was borrowed in the early 15th century, and purvey and purview came through Anglo-French.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of seeing beforehand.[2][4]
  • 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses it of foreseeing events.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of taking precautions.[2][4]
  • c. 1300 – English purvey is recorded.[6]
  • early 15th century – English provide is borrowed.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To see in advance, see far ahead.[2][1]
  2. To foresee, expect.[2][1]
  3. To provide for, see to.[2][1]
  4. (intransitive) To take care, act with foresight.[2][1]
  5. To provide, supply.[2][1]

Word family

  • prōvidē
  • prōvidēns
  • prōvidenter
  • prōvidentia
  • prōvidus
  • prōvīsō
  • invideō
  • pervideō
  • praevideō
  • revideō
  • videō
  • English provide
  • English purvey

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com