English
proposition
Proposition comes from Latin prōpositiō ‘proposition, representation’, from prōpōnō ‘to set forth, to put forth, to lay out’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to cultivate’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-1‘to cultivate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinéti1reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinō1‘to put in place’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pozinō1reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōnō1‘to place’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpōnō1‘to set forth, to put forth, to lay out’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpositiō2‘proposition, representation’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400proposicion2
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500proposicioun2‘a proposition or assertion’
- Englishearliest quotation 1668proposition2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin propositio
- 2 Wiktionary, English proposition
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1668, The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor: “There are some persons, whose religion is hugely disgraced,…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-Wiktionary, Latin propositio‘to cultivate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinétiWiktionary, Latin propositioreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinōWiktionary, Latin propositio‘to put in place’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pozinōWiktionary, Latin propositioreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōnōWiktionary, Latin propositio‘to place’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpōnōWiktionary, Latin propositio‘to set forth, to put forth, to lay out’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpositiōWiktionary, English proposition‘proposition, representation’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400proposicionWiktionary, English proposition
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500proposiciounWiktionary, English proposition‘a proposition or assertion’
- Englishearliest quotation 1668propositionWiktionary, English proposition. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1668, The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor: “There are some persons, whose religion is hugely disgraced,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to cultivate’
homeless, suppose, compound, hamlet, impose, bohemian, homely, hame, 50 more
through Proto-Indo-European *tḱinéti
apposite, prepositional, 39 more
through Proto-Italic *sinō ‘to put in place’
site, situation, posture, situate, compostela, supposition, positivism, preposition, situs, 41 more
through Proto-Italic *pozinō
compost, suppository, impost, compositor, presupposition, 25 more
through Latin pōnō ‘to place’
post, positive, opposite, opponent, expose, opposition, composition, dispose, consolation, compose, repository, exposition, exponent, disposition, deposition, expound, imposition, posit, pone, presuppose, 49 more
through Latin prōpōnō ‘to set forth, to put forth, to lay out’
Today it means
noun The act of offering (an idea) for consideration.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “proposition”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin propositio. 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 *tḱey- / proposition