Causal
/ˈkɔːzəl/noun
Relating to cause and effect.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to Latin *causa*, and it shares a deep ancestor with English words like *excuse*, *accuse*, and *because*—all orbiting the same idea of naming, assigning, or explaining why something happened.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keuh₂-
“to perceive, observe, consider”
Latin
Latin
causa
“a cause, reason, legal case”
Late Latin
Latin
causālis
“pertaining to a cause”
Old French
Old French
causal
“causal, relating to cause”
Middle English
English
causal
“relating to a cause”
Modern English
English
causal
“relating to cause and effect”