English
occasion
Occasion comes from Middle English occasioun, via French, from Latin occāsiō, from occāsus, past participle of occidō (ob- + cadō ‘to fall’).
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcadō‘to fall’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccidō‘to fall down’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccāsus
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccāsiō‘opportunity’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400occasiun
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600occasion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500occasioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1526occasion
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcadō‘to fall’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccidō‘to fall down’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccāsus
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccāsiō‘opportunity’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400occasiun
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600occasion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500occasioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1526occasion
Earliest quotation: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “Foꝛ ſynne toke occaſiõ by the meanes of the…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂d-
coincidence, casual, cascade, decadence, coincident
through Latin cadō ‘fall’
chance, case, incident, accident, cheat, incidence, decay, coincide, casualty, deciduous, cadence, decadent, recidivism, occidental, cadaver, occident, 15 more
Today it means
noun A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin cadō / occasion