Etymologically
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promotion

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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

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