causal
/ˈkɔːz(ə)l/
adjective
Origin
Latin
causa — cause, reason, occasion
Overview
Meaning Now
- Relating to or acting as a cause; involving a relationship between cause and effect.
- Relating to a cause in legal or philosophical contexts.
Literal older meaning
pertaining to a cause
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
causal
Earliest period
late 14th century
Journey
The term entered the English language during the late medieval period through the translation of scholastic philosophical and theological works, where the distinction between 'causal' and 'casual' became important in logic, despite their shared etymological roots in 'causa'.
Evolution
- Latin
causalis
“pertaining to a cause”
Derived from 'causa'.
- Middle French
causal
“pertaining to a cause”
Adopted from Latin into scholarly French.
- Late Middle English
causal
“having the nature of a cause”
Used primarily in logic and theology.
Connections
Word parts
caus
root
cause
-al
suffix
pertaining to
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.