Etymograph

English

professional

Professional comes from Middle English professhennalle.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500professhennalle1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1907professional1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English professional
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1907, Robert William Chambers, New York: “His forefathers had been, as a rule, professional men—physicians…”.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500professhennalleWiktionary, English professional
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1907professionalWiktionary, English professional. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1907, Robert William Chambers, New York: “His forefathers had been, as a rule, professional men—physicians…”

Every English word from Middle English professhennalle

Today it means

noun A person who belongs to a profession.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “professional”. 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 / Middle English professhennalle / professional

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