Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “communal” come from?

Communal comes from French communal, from Latin communis with the suffix -alis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm meaning together.

communal (English): pertaining to a community; shared by a community;...

Definitions

  1. pertaining to a community; shared by a community;...

Ancestry of “communal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcommunalof or relating to a commune
2Late Latincommunaliscommunal; belonging to the community
3Latincommūnis—
4Old Latincom(m)oinis—
5Proto-Italickommoinis—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
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 “communal”

  • communalism
  • communally
  • communality
  • intercommunal
  • bicommunal
  • communalistic
  • intracommunal
  • noncommunal
  • communalize
  • communalise
  • multicommunal
  • pseudocommunal
  • ecocommunalism
  • ecocommunal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →