English
situation
Situation comes from Middle French situation, from Medieval Latin situātiō ‘position’, from situō ‘to locate’, perhaps from Latin situs ‘site’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-‘to settle’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinō‘to put in place’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsinō‘to put, lay; let’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsitus‘site, position’uncertain
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500situō‘to locate, place’
- Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500situātiō‘position, situation’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600situation
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500situacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1801situation
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-‘to settle’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinō‘to put in place’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsinō‘to put, lay; let’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsitus‘site, position’uncertain
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500situō‘to locate, place’
- Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500situātiō‘position, situation’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600situation
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500situacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1801situation
Earliest quotation: 1801, Timothy Alden, The Glory of America. A Century Sermon: “[…] one of the most pleasant situations in America.…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to cultivate’
suppose, homeless, compound, impose, hamlet, bohemian, homely, hame, 49 more
through Proto-Indo-European *tḱinéti
compost, impost, presupposition, prepositional, 38 more
through Proto-Italic *sinō ‘to put in place’
post, positive, opposite, opponent, propose, expose, opposition, composition, dispose, compose, proposition, proponent, consolation, exposition, disposition, deposition, expound, imposition, presuppose, suppository, positivism, supposition, preposition, compositor, apposite, 42 more
through Latin sinō ‘to let’
purpose, position, posture, repository, exponent, posit, compostela, pone, 20 more
through Latin situs ‘a site’
Today it means
noun The combination of circumstances at a given moment; a state of affairs.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- / situation