English
invocation
Invocation comes from Latin invocatio ‘a calling upon someone or something, an…’, from vocō ‘to call’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ- ‘to speak’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wekʷ-‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wṓkʷs‘speech, voice’reconstructedo-grade root noun of *wekʷ-
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wōks‘voice’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvōx‘voice, speech’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvocō‘to call’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvocō‘to invoke, call upon’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvocatioas invocatio‘a calling upon someone or something, an invocation’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400invocacion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500invocacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 2007invocation
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wekʷ-‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wṓkʷs‘speech, voice’reconstructedo-grade root noun of *wekʷ-
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wōks‘voice’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvōx‘voice, speech’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvocō‘to call’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvocō‘to invoke, call upon’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvocatioas invocatio‘a calling upon someone or something, an invocation’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400invocacion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500invocacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 2007invocation
Earliest quotation: 2007, Criminal Procedure: “McNeil (D) contended that his courtroom appearance with an…”
Formed from invoke + -ation
Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ- ‘to speak’
…
Latin vocō ‘to call’
Latin invocāre ‘to call upon’
Old French envoquer
Middle English *invoken
English invoke
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ- ‘to speak’
epic, wight, whit, epos, 30 more
through Proto-Italic *wōks ‘voice’
vocalist, voiceless, vocally, vocalize, 26 more
through Latin vōx ‘voice, speech’
voice, vocal, vox, vociferous, 26 more
through Latin vocō ‘to call’
advocate, provoke, vouch, invoke, provocative, vocational, irrevocable, provocation, revocation, provocateur, revocable, convocation, 28 more
through Latin invocō ‘to invoke, call upon’
Today it means
noun The act or form of calling for the assistance or presence of some superior being, especially prayer offered to a divine being.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ- / invocation