Tuition
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:43 pm
by Perry Lassiter
Reading The King's Speech, I found the word tuition used in the early 20th century to mean the act of teaching, related to tutor. Dictionary says it goes back to 16th century. Apparently its use to mean the fee for instruction is relatively late, but that's the only use I remember.
tuition
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 3:36 pm
by Audiendus
The "act of teaching" sense is still standard usage in the UK. In fact I only use it in that sense; I would call the fee a 'tuition fee'.
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word originally meant "protection, care, custody" (from mid-15th century), then "the action or business of teaching pupils" (from 1580s). The sense of "money paid for instruction" is first recorded in 1828.