profession

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
2. Proto-Indo-European*pér
3. Proto-Indo-European*pró
4. Proto-Indo-European*pro-
5. Proto-Italic*pro-
6. Latinprō-
7. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
8. Proto-Italic*fatēōr
9. Latinfateor
10. Latinprofiteor
11. Latinprofessiōnem
12. Old Frenchprofession
13. Anglo-Normanprofessioun
14. Middle Englishprofessioun
15. English todayprofession

From Middle English professioun, from Anglo-Norman professioun, Old French profession (“declaration of faith, religious vows, occupation”), from Latin professiō (“avowal, public declaration”), from the participle stem of profitērī (“to profess”). By surface analysis, profess + -ion.

First known use, by meaning

• from 12th c. A promise or vow made on entering a religious order.
• from 16th c. The declaration of belief in the principles of a religion; hence, one's faith or religion.
• from 16th c. Any declaration of belief, faith or one's opinion, whether genuine or (as now often implied) pretended.
• from 15th c. An occupation, trade, craft, or activity in which one has a professed expertise in a particular area; a job, especially one requiring a high level of skill or training.
• from 17th c. The practitioners of such an occupation collectively.