Page "Mathematical proof" Paragraph 2

The word " proof " comes from the Latin probare meaning " to test ".

Related modern words are the English " probe ", " probation ", and " probability ", the Spanish probar ( to smell or taste, or ( lesser use ) touch or test ), Italian provare ( to try ), and the German probieren ( to try ).

The early use of " probity " was in the presentation of legal evidence.

A person of authority, such as a nobleman, was said to have probity, whereby the evidence was by his relative authority, which outweighed empirical testimony.