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Origin and history of exception

exception(n.)

late 14c., excepcioun, "the act or fact of leaving out or the excluding of" from the scope of some rule or condition, from Anglo-French excepcioun (late 13c. in a legal sense, "formal objection or protest entered by a defendant"), Old French excepcion, from Latin exceptionem (nominative exceptio) "an exception, restriction, limitation; an objection," noun of action from past-participle stem of excipere "to take out" (see except).

From c. 1400 as "a reservation or exemption;" from late 15c. as "something that is excepted." The figure of speech in to take exception "find fault with, disapprove" is from excipere being used in Roman law as a modern attorney would say objection.

The exception that proves the rule is from law: exceptio probat regulam, short for exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis, "the exception proves the rule in cases not excepted," also given in other similar wordings, said to be from Cicero. Exception here is "action of excepting" someone or something, not the person or thing that is excepted, and prove is "put (the rule) to the test, examine the truth of."

An item in "Notes & Queries" [F.C. Birkbeck Terry, July 1, 1893] points out the legalese origin, adding, "But scientific exactness now treats the question in another way." The shift was noted by the Rev. H. Percy Smith ("Glossary of Terms and Phrases," 1885), who defined the common understanding of exception proves the rule as "the fact of there being an exception proves the existence of a rule," or "an exception is essential to every rule."

But Smith noted that, properly, it means, "A special exception to a rule proves it to hold concerning things not specially excepted."

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to exception

except(v.)

late 14c., excepten, "to receive," from Old French excepter (12c.), from Latin exceptus, past participle of excipere "to take out, withdraw; make an exception, reserve," from ex "out" (see ex-) + capere "to take," from PIE root *kap- "to grasp." Meaning "to leave out" is from 1510s. Related: Excepted; excepting. Adjectival function led to use as a preposition, conjunction (late 14c.).

prove(v.)

c. 1200, prēven, pruven, proven "to try by experience or by a test or standard; evaluate; demonstrate in practice," from Old French prover, pruver "show; convince; put to the test" (11c., Modern French prouver), from Latin probare "to make good; esteem, represent as good; make credible, show, demonstrate; test, inspect; judge by trial" (source also of Spanish probar, Italian probare, and English probe), from probus "worthy, good, upright, virtuous."

This is from PIE *pro-bhwo- "being in front," from *pro-, extended form of root *per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of," + root *bhu- "to be," source also of Latin fui "I have been," futurus "about to be;" Old English beon "to be;" see be.

From early 13c. as "render certain, put out of doubt," also "establish the validity or authenticity of a will, etc." By c. 1300 as "test and find worthy, virtuous, false, etc.," also "find out, discover, ascertain; prove by argument." By mid-14c. as "check the accuracy of." The meaning "be found to be (a hero, coward, etc.) by experience or trial" is by late 14c.

The word had many more senses and broader application in Middle English than Modern English: "to experience; to strive, endeavor; act, accomplish; thrive, succeed." Also in Middle English in a now-obsolete sense of "approve, sanction, praise" (c. 1300; compare approve). Related: Proved; proven; proving. Proving ground "place used for firing cannons for making ballistics tests and testing powder" is by 1837.