diction

1. Proto-Indo-European*deyḱ-“to show, to point out”
2. Late Latindictiō“word”
3. Anglo-Normandictyoun
4. Old Frenchdicïon“word”
5. Latindictiō“a saying, speaking, uttering”
6. Middle Englishdiccion“something said; a word or phrase”
7. Englishdiction

From late Middle English diccion (“something said; a word or phrase”) (an obsolete sense in Modern English), borrowed directly from Latin dictiō (“a saying, speaking, uttering”) or from Old French dicïon (“word”) (Anglo-Norman dictyoun), from Late Latin dictiō (“word”), both from dīcō (“to say, to talk”) + -tiō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to show, to point out”). The modern senses of “choice and use of words” and “clarity of word choice” were likely influenced by additional senses of dictiō.

More words from Middle English, Latin, Old French