English
abolition
Abolition may come from Latin abolitiō ‘abolishing, annulling, abolition’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEabolitiōas abolitiōnem‘abolishing, annulling, abolition’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1978abolition
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEabolitiōas abolitiōnem‘abolishing, annulling, abolition’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1978abolition
Earliest quotation: 1978, 1976, Leszek Kołakowski: “He also formulated at this early stage the idea…”
Formed from abolish + -tion
Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-
Latin abolēscō ‘to wither, vanish, cease’
Latin abolēre ‘to retard, check the growth of, destroy, abolish’
Middle French aboliss-
Middle English abolisshen
English abolish
first attested First attested in 1529 (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested in 1529.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃elh₁- ‘to destroy/be destroyed’
through Latin *oleō ‘to wipe out, destroy’
Today it means
noun The act of abolishing; an annulling; abrogation.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin abolitiō / abolition