Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “communist” come from?

Communist derives from French communiste, a term formed from the French root commun meaning "common" combined with the suffix -iste denoting an adherent of a doctrine or system.

communist (English): Of, relating to, supporting, or advocating...

Definitions

  1. Of, relating to, supporting, or advocating...

Ancestry of “communist”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcommunistecommunist; Communist
2Frenchcommuncommon; communal
3ItaliancommuneObsolete form of comune
4Latincommūnis—
5Old Latincom(m)oinis—
6Proto-Italickommoinis—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
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 “communist”

  • anticommunist
  • communistic
  • postcommunist
  • noncommunist
  • procommunist
  • precommunist
  • Eurocommunist
  • communistically
  • anticommunistic
  • cryptocommunist
  • noncommunistic
  • anarcho-communist
  • Eurocommunistic
  • Islamocommunist
  • mkomunisti
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →