Origin and history of inference

in logic, "to 'bring in' as a conclusion of a process of reasoning," 1520s, from Latin inferre "bring into, carry in; deduce, infer, conclude, draw an inference; bring against," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + ferre "to carry, to bear," from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry; to bear children." General sense of "draw a conclusion" is first attested 1520s; intransitive sense is from 1570s.

"of or pertaining to an inference," 1650s, from Medieval Latin inferentia (see inference) + -al (1). Related: Inferentially.