Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mission” come from?

Mission comes from Latin missionem, the accusative form of missio, derived from Latin missus (sent) and the suffix -tio, ultimately tracing to the Proto-Indo-European root mey- meaning to change or go.

mission (English): A set of tasks that fulfills a purpose or duty;...

Definitions

  1. A set of tasks that fulfills a purpose or duty;...

Ancestry of “mission”, step by step

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

Words derived from “mission”

  • missionary
  • missional
  • missioner
  • mish
  • missionization
  • missionize
  • multimission
  • antimissionary
  • missionarying
  • nonmissionary
  • missionless
  • missionise
  • missionarylike
  • missions
  • missionaryize
  • Mihanere
  • missionality
  • missionizer
  • misheni
  • mmisionari
  • mikanele
  • hoʻomikanele
  • misinari
  • misin
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →