Etymology

protection

pro·tec·tion
P3R1O1T1E1C3T1I1O1N1

Today it means: The process of keeping (something or someone) safe. Full definition →

Late Latin prōtēctiō ← Latin prōtegō ← Proto-Italic *tegō
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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. Latinpro-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*(s)teg-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*(s)tégeti
  9. Proto-Italic*tegō
  10. Latintegō
  11. Latinprōtegō
  12. Late Latinprōtēctiō
  13. English todayprotection

From Middle English, from Old French, from stem of Late Latin prōtectiō (“a covering over”), from Latin prōtēctus, perfect passive participle of prōtegere (“to protect, cover in front”). Displaced native Old English ġesċildnes. Equivalent to protect + -ion.

Words from the same roots

Latinprōtēctus all →

protect

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.