English
tradition
Tradition comes from Middle English tradicioun ‘a tradition, custom, or piece of wisdom’, from Old French tradicion ‘delivery’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- ‘give’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₃-‘give’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dédeh₃ti‘to be giving’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*didō‘to give’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdō‘give’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrādō‘give up’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrāditiō‘a surrender’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400tradicion‘delivery’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tradicioun‘a tradition’
- Englishearliest quotation 1655tradition
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₃-‘give’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dédeh₃ti‘to be giving’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*didō‘to give’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdō‘give’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrādō‘give up’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrāditiō‘a surrender’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400tradicion‘delivery’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tradicioun‘a tradition’
- Englishearliest quotation 1655tradition
Earliest quotation: 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […]: “The following story is […] traditioned with very much…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- ‘give’
date, add, delicious, addition, donate, vendor, donor, dow, donation, dowry, condone, dowager, addendum, rendition, additive, endow, dower, dati, sconce, perdition, 38 more
through Proto-Indo-European *dédeh₃ti ‘to be giving’
dose, anecdote, antidote, dacha, 18 more
through Proto-Italic *didō ‘to give’
through Latin dō ‘give’
data, die, rent, surrender, vent, render, treason, rendezvous, 16 more
through Latin trādō ‘give up, hand over’
Today it means
noun A part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation, possibly differing in detail from family to family, such as the way to celebrate holidays.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- / tradition