Etymograph

English

protectionism

Protectionism comes from Late Latin prōtectiō ‘a covering over’, and goes back to prōtegō.

  1. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEprōtegō1as prōtegere‘to protect, cover in front’
  2. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEprōtectiō1‘a covering over’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400protection1
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentprotection2
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentprotectionnisme3
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2024protectionism3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, French protection
  2. 2 Wiktionary, French protectionnisme
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English protectionism
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2024, Veronique de Rugy, The Political Right Has Luxury Beliefs, Too: “Take the New Right's full-throated embrace of protectionism and…”.

Lineage

  1. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEprōtegōWiktionary, French protectionas prōtegere‘to protect, cover in front’
  2. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEprōtectiōWiktionary, French protection‘a covering over’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400protectionWiktionary, French protection
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentprotectionWiktionary, French protectionnisme
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentprotectionnismeWiktionary, English protectionism
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2024protectionismWiktionary, English protectionism. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2024, Veronique de Rugy, The Political Right Has Luxury Beliefs, Too: “Take the New Right's full-throated embrace of protectionism and…”

Every English word from Late Latin prōtegō

Today it means

noun A system or policy of protecting the domestic producers of a product from foreign competition by imposing tariffs, quotas, duties or other barriers on importations.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “protectionism”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for French protection, French protectionnisme. 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 / Late Latin prōtegō / protectionism

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