English
donation
Donation comes from Latin dōnātiō ‘a present’, from dōnō ‘to give’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₃-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₃-‘to give’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déh₃nom‘gift’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dōnom‘gift, present’reconstructed
- Archaic Latinc. 700–75 BCEdōnom
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdōnum‘a gift’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdōnō‘to give’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdōnātiō‘a present’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600donation
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500donacion
- Englishearliest quotation 1610–1611donation
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₃-‘to give’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déh₃nom‘gift’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dōnom‘gift, present’reconstructed
- Archaic Latinc. 700–75 BCEdōnom
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdōnum‘a gift’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdōnō‘to give’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdōnātiō‘a present’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600donation
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500donacion
- Englishearliest quotation 1610–1611donation
Earliest quotation: 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, The Tempest: “And some donation freely to estate On the bless'd…”
The story
Recorded in English since the 15th century.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- ‘to give’
add, data, die, date, rent, addition, delicious, surrender, tradition, dose, vent, render, treason, vendor, donor, dow, rendezvous, additive, anecdote, rendition, addendum, dowry, antidote, dowager, endow, dower, dacha, dative, perdition, sconce, dati, 40 more
through Latin dōnō ‘to give’
Today it means
noun A voluntary gift or contribution for a specific cause.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- / donation