Where does “coherent” come from?

Coherent comes from Middle French coherent, from Latin cohaerens, the present participle of cohaerere, formed from the prefix co- (from con-, cum, com) meaning "together" and haerere meaning "to stick."

coherent (English): Unified; sticking together; making up a whole;...

Definitions

  1. Unified; sticking together; making up a whole;...

Ancestry of “coherent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchcoherent
2Latincohaerēnsuniting, cohering, adhering
3Latincohaereōto cling, cleave or stick cling (closely) together; to be united, cohere, adhere
4Latincōn-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects
5Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
6Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
7Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
9Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
10Middle Englishkyt
11Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
12Old High Germankuti
13Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
14Proto-Germanickweduzresin
15Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
16Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “coherent

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-Every word from Latin cōn-Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷet-