Where does “prooftext” come from?

prooftext (English) comes from English proof, from Middle English proof, from Old French prove, from Latin proba, from Latin probāre, from Latin probō, from Latin Probus, from Proto-Indo-European pro-bhwo- — passed , crossed.

prooftext (English): A decontextualized quotation from a document to...

Definitions

  1. A decontextualized quotation from a document to...

Ancestry of “prooftext”, step by step

prooftext traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English proof

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishproofAn effort, process, or operation designed to...
2Middle Englishproof
3Old Frenchprove
4Latinprobatest, trial; proof, evidence
5Latinprobāre
6Latinprobōto approve, permit, commend
7LatinProbusgood, serviceable, excellent, superior, able
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-bhwo-being in front, prominent
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
11Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
12Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

via English text

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtextA writing consisting of multiple glyphs,...
2Middle Englishtext
3Old Frenchtextetext
4Medieval Latintextusthe Scriptures, text, treatise; text
5Latintextuswoven, having been woven; texture, structure;...
6Latin-tusForms the past participle of verbs; Forms...
7Proto-Italic-tus
8Proto-Indo-European-tusDerives action nouns from verb roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós