English
revolution
Revolution comes from Old French revolucion ‘passage’, from Late Latin revolūtiō ‘the act of revolving’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welH- ‘to roll, to undulate’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welH-‘to roll’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wolwōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvolvō‘roll’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErevolvō‘roll back’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CErevolūtiō‘the act of revolving’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400revolucion‘passage’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1837revolution
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welH-‘to roll’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wolwōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvolvō‘roll’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErevolvō‘roll back’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CErevolūtiō‘the act of revolving’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400revolucion‘passage’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1837revolution
Earliest quotation: 1837, George Sand, Mauprat: “For a long time the dormouse and polecat had…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *welH- ‘to roll, to undulate’
well, walk, wall, valve, vulgar, waltz, helix, divulge, vagrant, wale, gauche, vulgate, iliac, ilium, valvular, valise, 75 more
through Proto-Italic *wolwō
devolve, convolutional, 43 more
through Latin volvō ‘roll’
volume, involve, vault, evolve, vulva, voluminous, convoluted, devolution, voluble, convolution, involution, 45 more
Today it means
noun A political upheaval in a government or state characterized by great change.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *welH- / revolution