Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “collapse” come from?

Collapse comes from Latin collapsus, the past participle of collabor, formed from the prefix con- and laborr, meaning to fall together or fail utterly.

collapse (English): To break apart and fall down suddenly; to cave...

Definitions

  1. To break apart and fall down suddenly; to cave...

Ancestry of “collapse”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latincollāpsus—
2Latincollābor—
3Latincōn-—
4Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
5Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
6Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
9Middle Englishkyt—
10Germankitt—
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,...

Words derived from “collapse”

  • collapsible
  • recollapse
  • collapsin
  • noncollapsible
  • postcollapse
  • collapsable
  • precollapse
  • uncollapse
  • uncollapsible
  • paleocollapse
  • collapsogram
  • collapseth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →