Etymograph

English

assumption

Assumption comes from Latin assūmptiō ‘a taking up (into heaven)’, from assūmō ‘to take up, receive, adopt, accept, or assume’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁em-1‘to take’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁émeti1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*emō1‘to take’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEemō1‘to buy, purchase’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsūmō1‘to take, take up, catch, assume, seize, claim, arrogate’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEassūmō1‘to take up, receive, adopt, accept, or assume’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEassūmptiō1‘a taking up (into heaven)’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500assumpcioun1
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1528assumption1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English assumption
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1528, William Tyndale other wise Called William Hychins vnto the R: “Of vvhat texte thou proveſt hell / vvill a…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁em-Wiktionary, English assumption‘to take’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁émetiWiktionary, English assumptionreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*emōWiktionary, English assumption‘to take’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEemōWiktionary, English assumption‘to buy, purchase’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsūmōWiktionary, English assumption‘to take, take up, catch, assume, seize, claim, arrogate’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEassūmōWiktionary, English assumption‘to take up, receive, adopt, accept, or assume’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEassūmptiōWiktionary, English assumption‘a taking up (into heaven)’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500assumpciounWiktionary, English assumption
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1528assumptionWiktionary, English assumption. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1528, William Tyndale other wise Called William Hychins vnto the R: “Of vvhat texte thou proveſt hell / vvill a…”

Formed from -ion

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- ‘to take’

exempt, pommel, pomade, 55 more

through Proto-Italic *emō ‘to take’

presume, 46 more

through Latin emō ‘to buy, purchase’

premium, ransom, redeem, redemption, exemption, emptor, preemption, 40 more

through Latin sūmō ‘to take, take up, catch, assume, seize, claim,…’

consumer, resume, consume, sumptuous, consumable, overconsumption, 34 more

Today it means

noun The act of assuming, or taking to or upon oneself; the act of taking up or adopting.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “assumption”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- / assumption

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