Treason
/ˈtriːzən/noun
The crime of betraying one’s country or sovereign.
Did you know?Treason comes through Old French from Latin traditio, the same root behind tradition and betrayal, because both begin with the act of handing something over.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeh₁-
“to place, put, set”
Latin
Latin
tradere
“to hand over, deliver, betray”
Latin
Latin
traditio
“a handing over, delivery”
Old French
Old French
traison
“betrayal, treachery”
Middle English
English
treison
“treachery, betrayal”
Modern English
English
treason
“the crime of betraying one’s country or sovereign”