2039: An Examination of Proof Jul 15, 2020

'Proof' has a lot of meanings these days, but it all goes back to the same source. 'Proof' can relate to the experimentation as in "proof of the pudding..." [1] or also conclusive evidence [2], but it also means "able to withstand" as in 'waterproof', alcohol-content, or early tests of prints or coins. This is also etymologically related to 'probe' which also relates to examination, but in the case of 'prove/proof' there was a clear shift in the Middle Ages away from the meaning of 'to test' and towards ideas of security and established fact.

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