Etymograph

English

faction

Faction comes from Latin factiō ‘a group of people acting together, a political…’, from faciō ‘do, make’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō‘do, make’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfactiō‘a group of people acting together, a political faction’
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600faction
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1748same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō‘do, make’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfactiō‘a group of people acting together, a political faction’
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600faction
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1748same form

Earliest quotation: 1748, David Hume, Of Parties in General — How factions arise and contend.: “Real factions may be divided into those from interest,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *θakjō

effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, affectionate, imperfection, 64 more

through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’

effective, difficulty, interface, perfection, imperfect, affection, facet, affective, defector, effector, defection, deface, affectation, confectionary, 69 more

through Latin faciō ‘do, make’

difficult, perfect, face, feature, effect, profit, efficient, affect, facility, sacrifice, affair, deficit, factor, feat, faculty, facilitate, facial, infection, superficial, manufacture, efficacy, defect, counterfeit, fetish, deficient, infect, facade, maleficent, façade, facsimile, hacienda, difficile, beautify, parfait, aficionado, efficacious, beneficent, refectory, confit, facies, 85 more

Today it means

noun A group of people, especially within a political organization, which expresses a shared belief or opinion different from people who are not part of the group.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- / faction

Shirt and support for this word