Etymograph

English

occasion

Occasion comes from Middle English occasioun, via French, from Latin occāsiō, from occāsus, past participle of occidō (ob- + cadō ‘to fall’).

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcadō1‘to fall’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccidō1‘to fall down’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccāsus1
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccāsiō1‘opportunity’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400occasiun1
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600occasion1
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500occasioun1
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1526occasion1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English occasion
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “Foꝛ ſynne toke occaſiõ by the meanes of the…”.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcadōWiktionary, English occasion‘to fall’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccidōWiktionary, English occasion‘to fall down’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccāsusWiktionary, English occasion
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEoccāsiōWiktionary, English occasion‘opportunity’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400occasiunWiktionary, English occasion
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600occasionWiktionary, English occasion
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500occasiounWiktionary, English occasion
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1526occasionWiktionary, English occasion. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “Foꝛ ſynne toke occaſiõ by the meanes of the…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂d-

coincidence, casual, cascade, decadence, coincident

through Latin cadō ‘fall’

chance, case, incident, accident, cheat, incidence, decay, coincide, casualty, deciduous, cadence, decadent, recidivism, occidental, cadaver, occident, 15 more

Today it means

noun A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “occasion”. 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 / Latin cadō / occasion

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