Etymology Explorer › Middle French

Where does “initiation” come from?

initiation (Middle French) comes from Latin initiatio, from Latin -tiō, from Latin dissertātiō, from Latin dissertus, from Latin disserere, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus, from Latin calx — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.

Ancestry of “initiation”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latininitiatioparticipation in secret rites; initiation
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 “initiation”

  • initiation
  • preinitiation
  • reinitiation
  • photoinitiation
  • postinitiation
  • initiation
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →