Etymology

providential

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Today it means: Pertaining to divine providence. Full definition →

First used 17th c.Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← Latin prōvidentia ← Proto-Italic *widēō
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*pér
  3. Proto-Indo-European*pró
  4. Proto-Indo-European*pro-
  5. Proto-Italic*pro-
  6. Latinprō-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*weyd-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*widéh₁yeti
  9. Proto-Italic*widēō
  10. Latinvideō
  11. Latinprōvideō
  12. Latinprōvidēns
  13. Latinprōvidentia
  14. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  15. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  16. English todayprovidential

From Latin prōvidentia (“providence”) + English -al.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 17th c. Pertaining to divine providence.
  • from 18th c. Fortunate, as if occurring through the intervention of Providence.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.