Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “vacation” come from?

vacation (Old French) comes from Latin vacatio, 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 “vacation”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinvacatiofreedom, exemption, immunity; privilege
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 “vacation”

  • vacation
  • vacationing
  • vacationer
  • minivacation
  • Vacationland
  • vacationland
  • vacationist
  • vacationless
  • prevacation
  • postvacation
  • nonvacation
  • nonvacationing
  • vacationgoer
  • microvacation
  • vacacioun
  • vacacion
  • vacation
  • vacacioun
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →