Where does “evidence” come from?
Evidence comes from Middle English evidence, from Latin evidentia, a noun formed with the suffix -ia from Latin videre meaning to see, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European eǵ-.
evidence (English): Facts or observations presented in support of an...
Definitions
- Facts or observations presented in support of an...
Ancestry of “evidence”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | evidence | — |
| 2 | Latin | evidentia | evidence; obviousness; vividness |
| 3 | Latin | -ia | Used to form a feminine abstract noun, usually... |
| 4 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |