[1610–20; precipit(ant) + -ancy]This word is first recorded in the period 1610–20. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: decoy, objective, squelch, telescope, vibrate-ancy is a combination of -ance and -y, used to form nouns denoting state or quality. Other words that use the affix -ancy include: buoyancy, inerrancy, itinerancy, occupancy, vagrancy