Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “position” come from?

Position comes from Middle English posicioun, from Old French posicion, from Latin positio, the noun form of ponere and pono, meaning "to place" or "to put," traced back through Proto-Italic posnō and pozinō.

position (English): A place or location; A post of employment; a job;...

Definitions

  1. A place or location; A post of employment; a job;...

Ancestry of “position”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishposiciounPosition or location on the body; A announcement...
2Old Frenchposicion—
3Latinpositiō—
4Latin-tiō—
5Latindissertātiō—
6Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
7Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
8Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
9Latincalceusshoe
10Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
11Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “position”

  • positional
  • reposition
  • positionality
  • malposition
  • postposition
  • contraposition
  • extraposition
  • positioner
  • positionally
  • adposition
  • postpositional
  • interpositional
  • adpositional
  • counterposition
  • nonpositional
  • retroposition
  • possie
  • repositionable
  • multiposition
  • posish
  • positionless
  • positionable
  • multipositional
  • micropositioner
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →