English
expansion
Expansion comes from Latin expandō ‘to spread something out’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *peth₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-‘to spread out’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ptnéh₂tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pandō‘to spread’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpandō‘spread’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexpandō‘to spread something out’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexpānsiō
- Frenchc. 1600–presentexpansion
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1804same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-‘to spread out’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ptnéh₂tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pandō‘to spread’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpandō‘spread’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexpandō‘to spread something out’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexpānsiō
- Frenchc. 1600–presentexpansion
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1804same form
Earliest quotation: a. 1804, James Beattie, The Beginning of the First Book of Lucretius: “Mother of mighty Rome's imperial line, / Delight of…”
Equivalent to expand + -sion
Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- ‘to spread out’
…
Latin pandō ‘to spread’
Latin expandō ‘to spread out’
Anglo-Norman espaundre
Middle English expanden
English expand
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- ‘to spread out’
mile, repeat, compete, pen, helicopter, passage, petition, competitor, feather, symptom, perpetual, compass, impetus, perpetuate, trespass, perpetuity, pennant, passable, impetuous, petulant, patina, patella, pinion, pata, penna, petulance, 81 more
through Proto-Italic *pandō ‘to spread’
through Latin pandō ‘spread’
through Latin expandō ‘to spread something out’
Today it means
noun An act, process, or instance of expanding.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- / expansion