Where does “intention” come from?
Intention comes from Middle French intention, derived from Latin intentio, formed from the prefix in- and the suffix -tio, both ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European ne.
intention (English): The goal or purpose behind a specific action or...
Definitions
- The goal or purpose behind a specific action or...
Ancestry of “intention”, step by step
intention traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French intention
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | intention | Alternative form of entention |
| 2 | Old French | entencion | intention; intent; aim |
| 3 | Latin | intentio | strain, tension; increase, augmentation;... |
| 4 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 5 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 6 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 7 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 8 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 9 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 10 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
via Middle French entention
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | entention | intention; intent |