Etymology
1. 1340, "to attest (something) with authority," from O.Fr.
aprover, from L.
approbare "to assent to as good, regard as good," from
ad- "to" +
probare "to try, test something (to find if it is good)," from
probus "honest, genuine" (see prove). The meaning extended c.1380 to "show (something) to be good," then to "assent to (something) as good" (1413), especially in ref. to authorities, parliaments, etc.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd
4. Proto-Italic *ad
5. Proto-Italic *ad-
6. Latin ad-
7. Proto-Indo-European *per-der.?
8. Proto-Indo-European *per-der.?
9. Proto-Indo-European *pér
10. Proto-Indo-European *-o
11. Proto-Indo-European *pró
12. Proto-Indo-European *pro-der.
13. Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-der.
14. Proto-Italic *proβwos
15. Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
16. Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
17. Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
18. Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
19. Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.
20. Proto-Italic *-ājō
21. Proto-Italic *-āō
22. Proto-Italic *proβwāō
23. Latin probō
24. Latin approbāreder.
25. Old French aproverbor.
26. Middle English aproven
27. English approve
28. From Middle English aproven, appreoven, appreven, apreven, borrowed from Old French aprover, approver, approuvir, appreuver (“to approve”), from Latin approbō, from ad + probō (“to esteem as good, approve, prove”). Doublet of approbate. By surface analysis, ad- + prove. See: Middle English '
aproven', Latin '
approbō'.