promotion

Pronunciation

• IPA: UK /prəˈməʊ.ʃən/, US /prəˈmoʊ.ʃən/, /proʊˈmoʊ.ʃən/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English promocioun, borrowed from Old French promocion (“election, promotion”) and directly from Latin prōmōtiō (“advancement, a moving forward”),^[2][3][4] from prōmovēre (“to move forward, advance”).^[2][4] It is related to promote and motion.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Advancement in rank, honour or position: about 1400 in Etymonline, 1429 in the OED.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Advancing a cause, help or encouragement is from the early 15th century.^[2] In chess, the raising of a pawn to a higher piece is from 1803,^[5] and in sport, chiefly football, a team's move to a higher division from 1907.^[5] Advertising or publicity is first recorded in 1925,^[2] and the organizing of a boxing contest from 1951.^[5]

Timeline

• 1429 – advancement in rank.^[5]
• early 15th century – furthering a cause.^[2]
• 1803 – in chess.^[5]
• 1907 – in football.^[5]
• 1925 – publicity.^[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A move to a higher rank or position at work.
2. Activity to increase sales or make something known; advertising.
3. Help in the progress or growth of something.
4. (sport) A team's move up to a higher division.

Word family

• promotional
• promotionally
• nonpromotion
• prepromotion
• self-promotion
• social promotion

Related words

• promote
• promoter
• motion
• demotion

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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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