Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Commissioner” come from?

Commissioner (English) comes from Middle English commissioner, from Anglo-Norman commissionaire, from Medieval Latin commissionarius, from Latin commissio, from Latin committo, from Latin cōn-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Ancestry of “Commissioner”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcommissioner—
2Anglo-Normancommissionaire—
3Medieval Latincommissionarius—
4Latincommissiocommission
5LatincommittoI commit; I begin; I carry on
6Latincōn-—
7Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
8Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
9Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt—
13Germankitt—
14Old High Germankuti—
15Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
16Proto-Germanickweduzresin
17Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
18Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →