Where does “religion” come from?
Religion comes from Middle English religioun, from Old French religion, from Latin religio, ultimately derived from Latin ligo meaning to bind or tie.
religion (English): Belief in a spiritual or metaphysical reality (often including at least one deity), accompanied by practices or rituals pertaining to the belief
Definitions
- Belief in a spiritual or metaphysical reality (often including at least one deity), accompanied by practices or rituals pertaining to the belief
Ancestry of “religion”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | religioun | religion |
| 2 | Old French | religion | religion |
| 3 | Latin | religiō | scrupulousness, conscientious exactness |
| 4 | Latin | religō | to bind fast |
| 5 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 6 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 7 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |