English
constitution
Constitution comes from Old French constitucion, from Latin cōnstitūtiō ‘constitution, nature’, from cōnstituō ‘to establish’, ultimately from Proto-Italic *statuō ‘to set up’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*statuō‘to erect’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatuō‘set up’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnstituō‘to establish’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnstitūtiō‘character’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400constitucion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500constitucioun‘edict’
- Englishearliest quotation 1702–1704constitution
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*statuō‘to erect’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatuō‘set up’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnstituō‘to establish’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnstitūtiō‘character’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400constitucion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500constitucioun‘edict’
- Englishearliest quotation 1702–1704constitution
Earliest quotation: 1702–1704, Edward [Hyde, Begun in the Year 1641. […]: “He defended himself with [...] less passion than was…”
Formed from constitute + -ion
Proto-Indo-European *stéh₂tus ~ *sth₂téws ‘to stand (up)’
…
Latin statuō ‘to put up’
Latin cōnstituō ‘to put in place’
Latin cōnstitūtum
Middle English constituten
English constitute
The story
From Middle English constitucioun, constitucion (‘edict, law, ordinance, regulation, rule, statute; body of laws or rules, or customs; body of fundamental principles; principle or rule (of science); creation’) from Old French constitucion (modern French constitution), a learned borrowing from Latin cōnstitūtiō, cōnstitūtiōnem (‘character, constitution, disposition, nature; definition; point in dispute; order, regulation; arrangement, system’), from cōnstituō (‘to establish, set up; to confirm; to decide, resolve’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’
system, post, stay, rest, stand, distance, assistant, stadium, assistance, stood, establish, stable, instance, assist, stem, substance, contest, distant, resist, stability, instant, consistent, destiny, persistent, testimony, static, destination, insist, persist, stud, stool, consist, extant, stale, stamina, distal, stationary, attest, stead, subsistence, 151 more
through Proto-Italic *status ‘setting up’
state, statuette, estado, 7 more
through Latin statuō ‘set up’
institute, statue, substitute, statute, institution, prostitute, prostitution, substitution, destitute, restitution, destitution, 7 more
Today it means
noun The act, or process of setting something up, or establishing something; the composition or structure of such a thing; its makeup.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *statuō / constitution