English
foundation
Foundation comes from Latin fundātiō ‘founding’, from fundō ‘to found’, from fundus ‘bottom’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰmḗn ‘bottom’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰudʰmḗn‘bottom’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰudʰ-(m)n-o-sreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fundosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfundus‘bottom’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfundō‘to found, establish’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfundātiō‘founding, foundation’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fondacion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500foundacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1777foundation
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰudʰmḗn‘bottom’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰudʰ-(m)n-o-sreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fundosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfundus‘bottom’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfundō‘to found, establish’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfundātiō‘founding, foundation’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fondacion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500foundacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1777foundation
Earliest quotation: 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal: “Aye Madam to be sure that is the Provoking…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- ‘to sink in’
deep, depth, dumb, dave, dip, deaf, dove, dub, bottomless, typhus, doof, 20 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰmḗn ‘bottom’
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰnós
through Proto-Italic *fundos
profundity, fundus, fonds, 9 more
through Latin fundus ‘bottom’
through Latin fundō
fundamental, confusion, fusion, refund, confuse, funnel, diffuse, infuse, confound, 47 more
Today it means
noun The act of founding, fixing, establishing, or beginning to erect.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰmḗn / foundation