Etymograph

English

occupation

Occupation comes from Latin occupātiō ‘seizing, occupying’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘to seize, grab’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-‘to seize, grab’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccupō‘occupy, seize’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccupātiō‘seizing, occupying’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600occupacion
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500occupacioun
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1927occupation

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-‘to seize, grab’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccupō‘occupy, seize’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccupātiō‘seizing, occupying’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600occupacion
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500occupacioun
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1927occupation

Earliest quotation: 1927, Ernest Bramah pseudonym; Ernest Brammah : “With no particular appearance of regret Annesley Greatorex detached…”

Equivalent to occupy + -ation

Latin occupāre ‘to take possession of, seize, occupy, take…’

Old French occuper

Middle English occupien

English occupy

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘to seize, grab’

had, case, head, except, capital, heavy, cash, captain, receive, catch, accept, chapter, escape, achieve, capacity, behavior, cable, heavily, capable, chase, capture, cape, chef, recipe, cabin, haven, chapel, behave, capitol, cattle, recipient, capita, hawk, reception, perception, capsule, susceptible, captive, chassis, chaplain, 177 more

Today it means

noun An activity or task with which one occupies oneself; usually specifically the productive activity, service, trade, or craft for which one is regularly paid; a job.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kap- / occupation

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