English
destruction
Destruction comes from Middle English destruccioun, from Old French destrucion, from Latin dēstrūctiō, from dēstruō ‘to destroy’, ultimately from PIE *strew- ‘to spread’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*strew-‘to strew, spread out’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stréwetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*strowō‘to pile up’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstruō‘to build, put together’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēstruō‘to destroy, ruin’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēstrūctiōas dēstructiō‘destruction, demolition’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400destrucion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500destruccioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1838destruction
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*strew-‘to strew, spread out’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stréwetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*strowō‘to pile up’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstruō‘to build, put together’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēstruō‘to destroy, ruin’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēstrūctiōas dēstructiō‘destruction, demolition’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400destrucion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500destruccioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1838destruction
Earliest quotation: 1838, Abraham Lincoln, Springfield: “If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *strew- ‘to strew, to spread out’
strain, straw, stray, constructive, obstruction, obstruct, perestroika, stripling, misconstrue, 10 more
through Proto-Italic *strowō ‘to pile up’
through Latin struō ‘put together’
structure, construction, instrument, instructor, construct, destroyer, instruct, construe, 5 more
Today it means
noun The act of destroying.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *strew- / destruction