English
religious
Religious comes from Latin religiōsus ‘religious, superstitious, conscientious’, and goes back to religiō.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEreligiō‘scrupulousness’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEreligiōsus‘religious’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400religious
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400religieus
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500religiouse
- Englishearliest quotation 1787religious
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEreligiō‘scrupulousness’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEreligiōsus‘religious’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400religious
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400religieus
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500religiouse
- Englishearliest quotation 1787religious
Earliest quotation: 1787, Constitutional Convention, Constitution of the United States: “The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- ‘to bind, tie’
through Latin ligō ‘to tie, bind’
league, ally, liable, alloy, liaison, ligament, lien, ligand, liaise, ligature, legato, obligate, ligation, 16 more
through Latin religō ‘to observe, to venerate’
Today it means
adj Concerning religion.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin religiō / religious