Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tradition” come from?

Tradition comes from Old French tradicion, from Latin traditio meaning "handing down," derived from tradere "to hand over," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European terh₂- meaning "to cross over or pass through."

tradition (English): A part of culture that is passed from person to...

Definitions

  1. A part of culture that is passed from person to...

Ancestry of “tradition”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishtradiciounA tradition, custom, or piece of wisdom;...
2Old Frenchtradiciondelivery
3Latintrāditiō—
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 “tradition”

  • traditional
  • traditionally
  • nontraditional
  • traditionalist
  • traditionalism
  • traditionary
  • trad
  • untraditional
  • neotraditional
  • traditionalistic
  • traditionality
  • detraditionalization
  • traditionist
  • antitraditional
  • countertradition
  • neotraditionalist
  • traditionbound
  • traditionless
  • nontraditionally
  • antitraditionalism
  • antitraditionalist
  • untraditionally
  • subtradition
  • traditionalize
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →