treason English · revision 16134

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1225, Ancrene Riwle|origins=la trādō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈtɹiː.zən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|treison]], [[bor|xno|treisoun]] (also [[m|xno|tresun]]),^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2024) matching [[fro|traïson]] (modern [[fr|trahison]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 2026) from [[la|trāditiō|t=a handing over, surrender]],^(AHD 2024)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) a noun of action from [[m|la|trādō|t=to hand over, betray]],^(Etymonline)^(OED 2026)^(MW Word Histories) from [[m|la|trāns|t=across]] and [[m|la|dō|t=to give]],^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) The Old French form was influenced by the verb [[m|fro|traïr|t=to betray]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) It is a [[doublet]] of ''[[tradition]]'', which came straight from Latin.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Ayto 2005)^(MW Word Histories)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Betrayal of trust, treachery: about 1225 in the ''[[Ancrene Riwle]]'',^(OED 2026) probably before 1200 in Barnhart.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Latin [[m|la|trādō|alt=trādere]] meant to hand over, and so also to hand over treacherously, betray;^(Ayto 2005)^(MW Word Histories) ''tradition'' kept the first idea and ''treason'' the second.^(Ayto 2005)^(MW Word Histories) The legal sense, a subject's violation of allegiance to the sovereign or the state, is from 1303,^(OED 2026)^(Hoad 1986) and ''high treason'' is from about 1400.^(Etymonline) English law defined it in the Statute of Treasons of 1350–51,^(Weekley 1921) and in early English law it also covered a vassal's betrayal of his lord.^(MWU 2024) The spelling ''treason'' appears from the mid-to-late 15th century.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1225 – betrayal, treachery.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1303 – violation of allegiance to the sovereign or state.^(OED 2026)

+ * c. 1330 – the verb, to betray (rare).^(OED 2026)

+ * 1350–51 – the Statute of Treasons.^(Weekley 1921)

+ * 14th century – ''[[treasonable]]''.^(Hoad 1986)

+ * c. 1400 – ''high treason''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The crime of betraying one's country, especially by trying to [[overthrow]] its government or by helping its enemies.^(AHD 2024)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A betrayal of [[trust]] or [[allegiance]]; [[treachery]].^(AHD 2024)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[treasonable]]

+ * [[treasonous]]

+ * [[high treason]]

+ * [[petit treason]]

+ * [[petty treason]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[traitor]]

+ * [[traitorous]]

+ * [[tradition]]

+ * [[betray]]

+ * [[treachery]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}