Word Origin & History
suggestion
c.1340, "a prompting to evil," from Anglo-Fr. and O.Fr. suggestioun, from L. suggestionem (nom. suggestio) "an addition, intimation, suggestion," from suggestus, pp. of suggestere "suggest, supply, bring up," from sub "up" + gerere "bring, carry." Sense evolution in L. is from "heap up, build" to "bring forward an idea." Meaning "proposal" appeared by 1382, but original Eng. notion of "evil prompting" is preserved in suggestive (1631, though the indecent aspect did not emerge until 1888). Hypnotism sense is from 1887.