Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “commencer” come from?

commencer (English) comes from English commence, from French commencer, from Italian cominciare, from Spanish comenzar, from Vulgar Latin cominitiare, from Latin com-, from Latin con-, from Latin cum — resin, gum; to say, speak.

commencer (English): One who commences

Definitions

  1. One who commences

Ancestry of “commencer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcommenceTo begin, start; To begin to be, or to act as; To...
2Frenchcommencerto begin, commence
3Italiancominciareto begin, to start, to commence, to set about
4Spanishcomenzarto begin; to commence
5Vulgar Latincominitiarepresent active infinitive of *cominitiō;...
6Latincom-allomorph of con-
7Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷet- →