discussion

Pronunciation

• IPA: /dɪˈskʌʃ.ᵊn/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English discussioun,^[2][3] borrowed from Old French discussion (“discussion, examination, legal trial”) and directly from Late Latin discussiō (“examination, investigation”) (accusative discussiōnem),^[2][3][4] in classical Latin “a shaking”,^[2][3] a noun of action from the past participle of discutere (“to strike apart, break up; in Late Latin, to investigate”),^[2][4] from dis- (“apart”) and quatere (“to shake”).^[2] It is related to discuss, concussion, percussion and quash.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Examination, investigation, judicial trial: before 1340 in the OED,^[5] the mid-14th century in Etymonline.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The sense evolution in Latin was from “to smash apart” to “to scatter, disperse”, then in post-classical times, through the mental process, to “to investigate, examine”, and finally to “to debate”.^[2] The meaning “a talking over, debating” is first recorded in English in the mid-15th century,^[2] and the OED dates the examination of a matter by arguments for and against to before 1556.^[5] In medicine, the dispersal of humours or of a tumour, it is from 1620.^[5] Argument or debate meant to bring out the truth is from 1789,^[5] and humorously the testing of food by eating it from 1853.^[5]

Timeline

• before 1340 – judicial examination.^[5]
• mid-15th century – a talking over.^[2]
• before 1556 – examination by argument.^[5]
• 1620 – in medicine.^[5]
• 1789 – debate.^[5]
• 1937 – discussion group.^[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. Consideration of a subject by a group; a serious conversation or debate.
2. A formal spoken or written treatment of a topic; an exposition.

Word family

• discussional
• prediscussion
• rediscussion
• panel discussion

Related words

• discuss
• concussion
• percussion
• quash

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press