English
determination
Determination comes from Old French determinacion ‘outcome’, from Latin dēterminō ‘to confine’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *térmn̥ ‘boundary, end’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*térmn̥‘boundary, end’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*termn̥‘boundary stone’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*term(e)nos‘boundary stone’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterminus‘bound, limit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEterminō‘to limit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēterminō‘to confine’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēterminātiō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400determinacion‘outcome’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1609determination
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*térmn̥‘boundary, end’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*termn̥‘boundary stone’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*term(e)nos‘boundary stone’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterminus‘bound, limit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEterminō‘to limit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēterminō‘to confine’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēterminātiō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400determinacion‘outcome’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1609determination
Earliest quotation: 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 13: “So should that beauty which you hold in lease…”
Formed from determine + -ation
Proto-Indo-European *térmn̥ ‘boundary’
…
Latin terminō ‘to set bounds to, limit’
Latin dēterminō ‘to delimit, set bounds to’
Old French determiner
Middle English determinen
English determine
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ter- ‘tender, weak’
thrill, intrigue, treachery, thro, inextricable, 28 more
through Proto-Indo-European *térmn̥ ‘boundary, end’
through Proto-Italic *term(e)nos ‘boundary stone’
through Latin terminus ‘bound, limit’
through Latin terminō ‘to limit’
Today it means
noun The act, process, or result of any accurate measurement, as of length, volume, weight, intensity, etc.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *térmn̥ / determination