[1375–1425; late ME punicioun ‹ MF punition ‹ L pūnītiōn-, s. of pūnītiō punishment, equiv. to pūnīt(us) (ptp. of pūnīre to punish) + -iōn- -ion]This word is first recorded in the period 1375–1425. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: dimension, gauge, inventory, screw, trick-ion is a suffix, appearing in words of Latin origin, denoting action or condition, usedin Latin and in English to form nouns from stems of Latin adjectives (communion; union), verbs (legion; opinion), and esp. past participles (allusion; creation; fusion; notion; torsion)