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Origin and history of promotion

promotion(n.)

c. 1400, promocioun, "advancement in rank, honor, or position," from Old French promocion "election, promotion" (14c., Modern French promotion) and directly from Latin promotionem (nominative promotio) "advancement, a moving forward," noun of action from past-participle stem of promovere "move forward, advance" (see promote).

From early 15c. as "advancement of a cause; assistance, help, support, encouragement." The meaning "advertising, publicity" first recorded 1925.

also from c. 1400

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promote(v.)

late 14c., promoten, "to advance (someone) to a higher grade or office, exalt or raise to a higher post or position," from Old French promoter and directly from Latin promotus, past participle of promovere "move forward, advance; cause to advance, push onward; bring to light, reveal," from pro "forward" (see pro-) + movere "to move" (from PIE root *meue- "to push away").

General sense of "to further the growth or progress of (anything)" is from early 15c. In late Middle English and early Modern English also promove, from the Latin verb. Related: Promoted; promoting.

promo(n.)

"a promotional advertisement," 1958 (in Billboard magazine headlines), shortening of promotion in the sense "advertising, publicity."

promotional(adj.)

1869, "relating to promotion or advancement," from promotion + -al (1). From 1902 as "relating to advertising."

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    1791, "state or condition of being public or open to the observation and inquiry of a community," from French publicité (1690s), from Medieval Latin publicitatem (nominative publicitas), from Latin publicus (see public (adj.)). Sense of "a making (something) known, an exposure to
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    [promotion for the Fourth Liberty Loan appearing in U.S. magazines, fall 1918]...
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    from 1926, three years after the giant sign was set up, originally reading Hollywoodland, another real estate developer's promotion...
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    "publicity, hype," 1908, from circus slang, "a short sample of a sideshow" used to lure customers (1901), which is of unknown origin. The word seems to have been in use in various colloquial senses in the 1890s. To catch ballyhoo is attested from 1895 in sense "be in trouble." Th
    change
    c. 1200, "to alter, make different, change" (transitive); early 13c. as "to substitute one for another;" mid-13c. as "to make (something) other than what it was, cause to turn or pass from one state to another;" from late 13c. as "to become different, be altered" (intransitive),
    plug
    1620s, "piece of wood or other substance, usually in the form of a peg or bottle-cork, used to stop a hole in a vessel," originally a seamen's term, probably from Dutch plug, Middle Dutch plugge "bung, stopper," related to Norwegian plugg, Danish pløg (the Scandinavian words also

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