Etymograph

English

passion

Passion comes from Middle English passioun, from Old French passion, from Latin passiō ‘suffering’, from patior ‘to suffer’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₁-‘to hurt’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpatior‘to suffer’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpassus‘suffered’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpassiō‘suffering’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400passion
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500passioun‘suffering; passion’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1543passion

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₁-‘to hurt’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpatior‘to suffer’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpassus‘suffered’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpassiō‘suffering’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400passion
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500passioun‘suffering; passion’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1543passion

Earliest quotation: 1543, Henry VIII of England, The Nynthe Article. The Holy Catholike Churche.: “Moreouer the perfit beleue of this article, worketh in…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pet-

fathom, petal, 3 more

through Latin patior ‘to suffer, endure, tolerate’

patient, patience, compatible, compatibility, compassionate, 7 more

Today it means

noun A true desire sustained or prolonged.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- / passion