English
conviction
Conviction comes from Latin convictiō ‘companionship’, from convictus ‘convinced’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- ‘to sift, separate’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyk-‘to sift, separate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*winékti ~ *winkéntireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*winkō‘to conquer, overcome’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvincō‘conquer, win’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconvincō‘to convict’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconvictus‘convinced’past participle of convincō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconvictiō‘companionship’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400conviction
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1825same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyk-‘to sift, separate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*winékti ~ *winkéntireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*winkō‘to conquer, overcome’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvincō‘conquer, win’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconvincō‘to convict’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconvictus‘convinced’past participle of convincō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconvictiō‘companionship’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400conviction
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1825same form
Earliest quotation: 1825, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Aphorisms on that which is indeed spiritual religion: “Analogies are used in aid of Conviction: Metaphors, as…”
Formed from convict + -ion
Proto-Indo-European *weyk- ‘to sift, separate’
…
Latin convincō ‘to convict’
Latin convictus ‘convinced’
Anglo-Norman convicter
Middle English convicten
English convict
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyk- ‘to sift, separate’
province, weakness, witch, victim, wicked, wo, victor, iconic, icon, wight, weakly, vicar, wile, waw, ancona, 33 more
through Latin vincō ‘conquer, win’
victory, invincible, victorious, vanquish, eviction, evict, 11 more
Today it means
noun A firmly held belief.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyk- / conviction