- suggestion (n.)
- mid-14c., "a prompting to evil," from Anglo-French and Old French suggestioun, from Latin suggestionem (nominative suggestio) "an addition, intimation, suggestion," from suggestus, past participle of suggerere "suggest, supply, bring up," from sub "up" (see sub-) + gerere "bring, carry" (see gest). Sense evolution in Latin is from "heap up, build" to "bring forward an idea." Meaning "proposal" appeared by late 14c., but original English notion of "evil prompting" is preserved in suggestive (1630s, though the indecent aspect did not emerge until 1888). Hypnotism sense is from 1887.