Etymology tree Latin argūmentor Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin argūmentātiōder. Middle English argumentacioun English argumentation Inherited from Middle English argumentacioun, from Anglo-Norman argumentacion, Middle French argumentation, or their etymon Latin argūmentātiō; by surface analysis, argument + -ation.