Where does “commander” come from?

Commander comes from Middle English commaunder, from Old French comandeor, combining Old French -eor with con- and manus, Latin words meaning "with" and "hand" respectively.

commander (English): One who exercises control and direction of a...

Definitions

  1. One who exercises control and direction of a...

Ancestry of “commander”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcomaundourcommander, leader, director; decision-maker;...
2Old Frenchcomandeorcommander
3Old Frenchcomanderto command, to implore; to request, to ask for;...
4Latincommandōto chew
5Latincommendōto commend, entrust to, commit
6Latincōn-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects
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
13Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
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,...

Words derived from “commander

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