Donation
/doʊˈneɪʃən/noun
A gift of money, goods, or services given voluntarily to help a person, cause, or organization.
Did you know?Donation ultimately comes from Latin dōnātiō, from dōnāre “to give as a gift,” a root that also lies behind words for honor, grace, and the economics of favor in the Roman world.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deh₃-
“to give”
Latin
Latin
dōnum
“gift”
Latin
Latin
dōnāre
“to give as a gift, bestow”
Late Latin
Latin
dōnātiō
“a gift, donation”
Old French
Old French
donacion
“gift, endowment”
Middle English
English
donacioun
“a gift or grant”
Modern English
English
donation
“a voluntary gift or contribution”