recommendation English · revision 7979

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1450|origins=la-med recommendo}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, /ˌɹɛkəmənˈdeɪʃən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English recommendacion, [[bor|fro|recommendation]] and directly Medieval Latin [[m|la-med|recommendatio]],^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from the past participle stem of recommendare (see [[recommend]]).^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The commending of oneself to another's remembrance: 1450 in the OED, the early 15th century in Etymonline; obsolete.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Committing to another's care is an obsolete sense of 1483, and favour or esteem of 1474.^(OED 1989) A ''letter of recommendation'' is from about 1500 (1494 in the OED);^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) the Century Dictionary defined it as a letter given to one person and addressed to a third, representing the bearer as worthy of confidence.^(Etymonline) The act of representing someone or something as worthy is from 1578 (the 1570s).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) That which wins a favourable reception is from 1647.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1450 – commending oneself.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1494 – letter of recommendation.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1578 – recommending as worthy.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1647 – a quality that recommends.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The act of [[recommend|alt=recommending]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Something that recommends, especially a favourable statement about a person's character or qualifications.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Something recommended, such as a course of action.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[recommendatory]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[recommend]]

+ * [[commend]]

+ * [[command]]

+ * [[mandate]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}