"the placing of clauses one after another without connecting words to indicate their relation," 1838, from Greek parataxis "a placing side by side, a placing in line of battle," from stem of paratassein "to place side by side," from para- "beside" (see para- (1)) + tassein "to arrange" (see tactics). Related: Paratactic.
"character or state of being in proportion," 1560s, from French proportionalité (14c.) or directly from Medieval Latin proportionalitas, from proportio "comparative relation, analogy" (see proportion (n.)). The word was used in Middle English (proporcionalite) in mathematics in reference to geometrical ratios (mid-15c.).
"nearness in place, time, or relation," late 15c., proxymyte [Caxton], from French proximité "nearness" (14c.), from Latin proximitatem (nominative proximitas) "nearness, vicinity," from proximus "nearest, next; most direct; adjoining," figuratively "latest, most recent; next, following; most faithful," superlative of prope "near" (see propinquity).
c. 1300, matrimoine, "the married state, the relation of husband and wife, wedlock; the sacrament of marriage," from Old French matremoine "matrimony, marriage" and directly from Latin mātrimōnium "wedlock, marriage" (in plural "wives"), from mātrem (nominative māter) "mother" (see mother (n.1)) + -mōnium, suffix signifying "action, state, condition."
mid-15c., "relative, having relation or reference to something" (a sense now obsolete), from Medieval Latin respectivus "having regard for," from Latin respect- past-participle stem of respicere "look back at, regard, consider" (see respect (v.)). The meaning "relating or pertaining severally each to each, connected with each of those in question" is from 1640s.
"to assert, lay down as a position or principle," 1690s, from Latin positus "placed, situated, standing, planted," past participle of ponere "put, place" (see position (n.)). Earlier in a literal sense of "dispose, range, place in relation to other objects" (1640s). Related: Posited; positing.
