English
referendum
Referendum comes from Latin referendum ‘that which ought to be announced’, from ferō ‘bear, carry’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéreti‘to be carrying’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ferō‘to carry, bear’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEferō‘bear, carry’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErefero‘to announce’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEreferendum‘that which ought to be announced’
- Englishearliest quotation 1975same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéreti‘to be carrying’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ferō‘to carry, bear’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEferō‘bear, carry’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErefero‘to announce’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEreferendum‘that which ought to be announced’
- Englishearliest quotation 1975same form
Earliest quotation: 1975, Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau: “In some cases, a referendum on the proposed bond…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to bear, carry’
bar, birth, broad, bread, fortune, bearing, burden, barn, barrel, fury, baron, bark, prefer, bore, breeze, broom, barrow, embargo, berth, fret, insufferable, furtive, ferret, bahar, bier, birr, bairn, burnish, proffer, barrette, 115 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti ‘to be carrying’
bear, borne, phosphate, phosphorus, euphoria, dysphoria, semaphore, phosphine, indifferently, 93 more
through Proto-Italic *ferō ‘to carry, bear’
suffering, differently, differentiation, infertility, indifferent, infertile, deference, differentially, differentiable, deferential, differentiator, 70 more
through Latin ferō ‘bear, carry’
different, offer, difference, transfer, translation, extraordinary, suffer, frustration, translate, strangely, differ, fertility, extravagant, fertile, frustrate, elated, infra, confer, fertilization, extraneous, ablation, infer, elation, collation, defer, strangeness, dilate, collate, ablative, fertilize, oblate, estrange, efferent, 81 more
through Latin refero ‘to announce’
Today it means
noun A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- / referendum