Etymology is the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history. This is the Google definition.
Where does the word proofreading come from? Let’s break it down.
The origin of the word ‘proof’ comes from the Latin word probare, meaning ‘to confirm by testing.’ The modern English word ‘prove’ can mean to confirm something with evidence and to subject something to a test. The word ‘proof’ means sufficient evidence to confirm something. But, it can also mean a test version of something. Proofreaders were people who checked galley proofs (preliminary versions of books) for errors. [Author unknown. (2016). “What is Etymology? And Where Does ‘Proofreading’ Come From?”, https://proofreadmyessay.co.uk/writing-tips].
You learn something new every day, right?