donation

Pronunciation

• IPA: UK /dəʊˈneɪ.ʃən/, US /doʊˈneɪ.ʃən/^[1]

Etymology

It is, through Middle French donation, borrowed from Latin dōnātiō (“a presenting, giving”),^[2][3] from dōnāre, to give as a gift,^[2][3][4] from dōnum, gift, related to dare, to give (see date).^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The act or power of giving or presenting: about 1425, in Scottish use.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The right of bestowing a church benefice is from 1540,^[5] and that which is given, a gift, from 1577.^[5] In law, a donation is the transfer of property without payment (1651).^[5] The verb donate is a back-formation from donation, recorded in 1785 in American English.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1425 – the act of giving.^[2][5]
• 1540 – the bestowing of a benefice.^[5]
• 1577 – a gift.^[5]
• 1785 – donate.^[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. The act of giving, especially to a charity or cause.
2. A gift or contribution.

Related words

• donate
• donor
• date
• pardon

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 Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press