English
designation
Designation comes from Latin dēsignātiō ‘a designating, describing, marking out,…’, from signō ‘mark’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *segnom ‘sign’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*segnom‘sign’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*segnāōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsignō‘mark’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēsignō‘designate, describe’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēsignātiō‘a designating, describing, marking out, specification’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500designacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1689designation
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*segnom‘sign’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*segnāōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsignō‘mark’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēsignō‘designate, describe’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēsignātiō‘a designating, describing, marking out, specification’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500designacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1689designation
Earliest quotation: 1689, Of the Signification of Words: “But ſo far as Words are of Uſe and…”
Formed from design + -ation
Proto-Italic *segnom ‘sign’
…
Latin signō ‘to mark’
Latin designō ‘to mark out’
Old French designer
Middle English designen
English design
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sek- ‘to cut’
saw, sex, risk, ship, sexual, section, segment, signal, sack, significance, insect, scarlet, sawyer, sealing, sax, het, sickle, shingle, dissect, ensign, scythe, signify, insignia, sich, seg, sedge, signet, brassica, desiccant, desiccation, signification, 49 more
through Proto-Italic *segnom ‘sign’
significant, sign, seal, sigil, 21 more
through Proto-Italic *segnāō
through Latin signō ‘mark’
Today it means
noun An act or instance of designating
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *segnom / designation