Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “expedition” come from?

Expedition comes from Middle French expédition, from Latin expeditio, ultimately derived from Latin ex- (out) and the Proto-Indo-European root ped- (foot), originally denoting a journey undertaken on foot.

expedition (English): The act of expediting something; prompt...

Definitions

  1. The act of expediting something; prompt...

Ancestry of “expedition”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchexpédition—
2Latinexpeditioexpedition, campaign, mission; march; mission: an...
3Latin-tiō—
4Latindissertātiō—
5Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
6Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
7Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
8Latincalceusshoe
9Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
10Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “expedition”

  • expeditionary
  • expeditionist
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →