Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “commitment” come from?

Commitment derives from Latin committo, formed from the prefix com- meaning "together" and -mentum, a suffix forming abstract nouns from verbs.

commitment (English): The act or an instance of committing, putting in...

Definitions

  1. The act or an instance of committing, putting in...

Ancestry of “commitment”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcommitTo give in trust; to put into charge or keeping;...
2Middle Englishcommitten—
3LatincommittoI commit; I begin; I carry on
4Latincōn-—
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—
11Germankitt—
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 “commitment”

  • precommitment
  • overcommitment
  • noncommitment
  • commitmentphobic
  • commitmentphobia
  • commitment-phobe
  • commitment-phobic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →