Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “compensate” come from?

Compensate comes from Latin compensatus, the past participle of compensare, meaning to weigh together or balance, formed from the prefix com- and pensare, meaning to weigh.

compensate (English): To do after happens; To pay or reward someone...

Definitions

  1. To do after happens; To pay or reward someone...

Ancestry of “compensate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latincompensatus
2Latincompēnsō—
3Latincōn-—
4Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
5Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
6Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
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 “compensate”

  • compensating
  • compensator
  • overcompensate
  • decompensate
  • compensatable
  • undercompensate
  • recompensate
  • precompensate
  • compensatest
  • compensateth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →