prove

prove · verb, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*pro-bʰuH-s“being in front, prominent”
2. Latin · derived fromprobō“test, try, examine, approve, show to be good or fit, prove”
3. Old French · derived fromprover“to prove”
4. Old English · inherited fromprōfian“to esteem, regard as, evince, try, prove”
5. Middle English · inherited fromproven
6. English todayprove

From Middle English proven, from Old English prōfian (“to esteem, regard as, evince, try, prove”) and Old French prover (“to prove”), both from Latin probō (“test, try, examine, approve, show to be good or fit, prove”, verb), from probus (“good, worthy, excellent”), from Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰuH-s (“being in front, prominent”), from *pro-, *per- (“toward”) + *bʰuH- (“to be”). Displaced native Middle English sothen (“to prove”), from Old English sōþian (“to prove”). Doublet of probe. More at for, be, soothe.

prove · verb²

Simple past form of proove, conjugated as a Germanic strong verb, on the pattern of choose → chose.

Words from the same roots