Etymologically
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donation

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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.

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