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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

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English

reason

/ˈɹiːzən/
That which causes something: an efficient cause, a proximate cause.

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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English resoun, reson, from Anglo-Norman raisun (Old French raison), from Latin ratiō, from ratus, past participle of reor (“reckon”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂reh₁- (“to think”), reanalysed root of *h₂er- (“to put together”). Displaced native Middle English reden (found in compounds), from Old English rǣden (“condition, stipulation, calculation, direction”), from the same Proto-Indo-European source (compare West Frisian reden (“reason”), Dutch reden (“reason”)). Doublet of ration and ratio.

    Etymology 2

    From Middle English reason, reson, resen, rasen, from Old English ræsn (“beam, rafter, ceiling, wall panel”), probably from Proto-West Germanic *raʀn (“house”), from Proto-Germanic *razną (“house, dwelling”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁erh₁- (“to rest”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • rootProto-Indo-European*h₂er- “to fit, put together”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishresoun
      • derivedAnglo-Normanraisun
        • derivedOld Frenchraison
          • derivedLatinratiō “reason”
            • derived (ultimately)Proto-Indo-European*h₂reh₁- “to think”
              • partProto-Indo-European*-éh₁ti
    • inheritedMiddle Englishreason
      • inheritedOld Englishræsn “beam, rafter, ceiling, wall panel”
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*raʀn “house”
          • inheritedProto-Germanic*razną “house, dwelling”
            • derivedProto-Indo-European*h₁erh₁- “to rest”

    Related: English ratio (doublet), English ration (doublet), Middle English -rede, Old English rǣden, West Frisian reden, Dutch reden

    Meanings

    noun
    1. That which causes something: an efficient cause, a proximate cause.
    2. A motive for an action or a determination.
    3. An excuse: a thought or a consideration offered in support of a determination or an opinion; that which is offered or accepted as an explanation.
    4. A premise placed after its conclusion.
    5. Rational thinking (or the capacity for it); the cognitive faculties, collectively, of conception, judgment, deduction and intuition.
    6. Something reasonable, in accordance with thought; justice.
    verb
    1. To deduce or come to a conclusion by being rational.
    2. To perform a process of deduction or of induction, in order to convince or to confute; to argue.
    3. To converse; to compare opinions.
    4. To arrange and present the reasons for or against; to examine or discuss by arguments; to debate or discuss.
    5. To support with reasons, as a request.
    6. To persuade by reasoning or argument.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: reason