English
position
Position comes from Old French posicion, from Latin positiō ‘a putting, position’, from positus, past participle of pōnō ‘to place’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-‘to build’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‘to place’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpositus‘placed’past participle of pōnō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpositiō‘a putting, position’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400posicion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500posicioun‘position’
- Englishearliest quotation 1643position
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-‘to build’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‘to place’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpositus‘placed’past participle of pōnō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpositiō‘a putting, position’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400posicion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500posicioun‘position’
- Englishearliest quotation 1643position
Earliest quotation: 1643, John Milton: “The cause therfore of divorce expres’t in the position…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to build, cultivate’
homeless, suppose, compound, hamlet, impose, bohemian, homely, hame, 61 more
through Proto-Italic *sinō ‘to put in place’
through Latin *sinō ‘to put in place’
site, situation, posture, situate, compostela, situs, 18 more
through Latin pōnō ‘to place’
post, purpose, opposite, opponent, propose, expose, dispose, compose, consolation, proponent, repository, exponent, expound, presuppose, suppository, pone, compositor, apposite, prepositional, 52 more
Today it means
noun A place or location.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- / position