Where does “improbable” come from?
improbable (Middle French) comes from English probable, from Middle English probable, from Old French probable, from Latin probābilis, from Latin probāre, from Latin probō, from Latin Probus, from Proto-Indo-European pro-bhwo- — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “improbable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | probable | Likely or most likely to be true; Likely to... |
| 2 | Middle English | probable | — |
| 3 | Old French | probable | — |
| 4 | Latin | probābilis | likely, credible, probable, plausible |
| 5 | Latin | probāre | — |
| 6 | Latin | probō | to approve, permit, commend |
| 7 | Latin | Probus | good, serviceable, excellent, superior, able |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro-bhwo- | being in front, prominent |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |