English
imposition
Imposition comes from Latin impositio ‘application’, from impōnō ‘to place, lay, set, or put on, in, into, over,…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to cultivate’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-‘to cultivate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinō‘to put in place’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*pozinōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōnō‘place, put’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimpōnō‘to place, lay, set, or put on, in, into, over, or upon’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimpositio‘application’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400imposicion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500imposicioun‘a charge or fee or its collection or retrieval’
- Englishearliest quotation 1961imposition
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-‘to cultivate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinō‘to put in place’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*pozinōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōnō‘place, put’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimpōnō‘to place, lay, set, or put on, in, into, over, or upon’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimpositio‘application’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400imposicion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500imposicioun‘a charge or fee or its collection or retrieval’
- Englishearliest quotation 1961imposition
Earliest quotation: 1961, Joseph Heller, The Soldier in White: “They gathered soberly in the farthest recess of the…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to cultivate’
homeless, suppose, compound, hamlet, bohemian, homely, hame, 51 more
through Proto-Indo-European *tḱinéti
apposite, prepositional, 39 more
through Proto-Italic *sinō ‘to put in place’
site, situation, posture, situate, compostela, supposition, positivism, preposition, situs, 41 more
through Proto-Italic *pozinō
compost, suppository, compositor, presupposition, 25 more
through Latin pōnō ‘place, put’
post, purpose, positive, opposite, opponent, propose, expose, opposition, composition, dispose, consolation, compose, proposition, repository, proponent, exposition, exponent, disposition, deposition, expound, posit, presuppose, pone, 48 more
Today it means
noun The act of imposing, laying on, affixing, enjoining, inflicting, obtruding, and the like.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- / imposition