Where does “provisional” come from?
Provisional comes from Middle French provisionnal, meaning of or relating to a provision or stipulation.
provisional (English): Temporary, but with the intention of eventually...
Definitions
- Temporary, but with the intention of eventually...
Ancestry of “provisional”, step by step
provisional traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English provision
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | provision | An item of goods or supplies, especially food,... |
| 2 | Middle English | provisioun | Preparations, a readying; something which is set... |
| 3 | Old French | provisïon | — |
| 4 | Latin | prōvīsiō | foreknowledge |
| 5 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 6 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 7 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 8 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 9 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 10 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 11 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 12 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
via Middle French provisionnal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | provisionnal | — |