Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “commanding” come from?

Commanding derives from Middle English comaunden, from Old French comander, formed from the Latin prefix con- combined with manus meaning hand.

commanding (English): present participle of command; Tending to give...

Definitions

  1. present participle of command; Tending to give...

Ancestry of “commanding”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcommandAn order to do something; The right or authority...
2Frenchcommanderto order
3Middle Frenchcommander—
4Old Frenchcomanderto command, to implore; to request, to ask for;...
5Latincommandō—
6Latincommendō—
7Latincōn-—
8Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
9Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
10Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
12Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
13Middle Englishkyt—
14Germankitt—
15Old High Germankuti—
16Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
17Proto-Germanickweduzresin
18Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
19Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “commanding”

  • commandingly
  • commandingness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →