Where does “classmate” come from?

Classmate comes from English class, derived from Middle English maten and Latin classis, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European kelh₁- meaning to call or summon together.

classmate (English): A student who is in the same class at school; A...

Definitions

  1. A student who is in the same class at school; A...

Ancestry of “classmate”, step by step

classmate traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English maté

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmatéAn evergreen tree, Ilex paraquariensis, native to...
2Middle Englishmatemate companion, comrade
3Middle Low Germanmāte
4Old Saxongimato
5Proto-Germanicgamatjô
6Proto-Germanicga-Indicates association or togetherness; co-;...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
9Middle Englishkyt
10Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
11Old High Germankuti
12Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
13Proto-Germanickweduzresin
14Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
15Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

via English class

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishclassA group, collection, category or set sharing...
2Frenchclasseclass, type, group; "Une classe de conscrits"...
3Italianclasseclass; classroom; style
4Spanishclaselecture; class; kind, sort, type
5Portugueseclasseclass, kind; class; elegance; class
6Germanklassegreat, awesome
7Russianклассclass
8Latinclassisany one of the five divisions into which Servius...
9Proto-Italicklāssis
10Proto-Indo-Europeankelh₁-to call, cry, summon

Words derived from “classmate

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-
classmate — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer