Etymograph

English

vocation

Vocation comes from Old French vocation ‘call’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *wokʷ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wokʷ-reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvocō‘to call, summon, beckon’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvocātiōnem
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400vocation‘call’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500vocacioun
  6. Englishtodayvocation

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wokʷ-reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvocō‘to call, summon, beckon’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvocātiōnem
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400vocation‘call’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500vocacioun
  6. Englishtodayvocation

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *wokʷ-

vocabulary, 25 more

through Latin vocō ‘to call, summon, beckon’

invite, invitation, advocate, vie, provoke, invoke, vouch, provocative, irrevocable, provocateur, revocable, 32 more

Today it means

noun A divine calling to establish one's lifestyle.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wokʷ- / vocation

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