Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “complaining” come from?

Complaining comes from Middle English complaynen, from Old French complaindre, from Medieval Latin complangere, combining the Latin prefix com- with a root meaning to lament.

complaining (English): present participle of complain; The act by which...

Definitions

  1. present participle of complain; The act by which...

Ancestry of “complaining”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcomplainTo express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or...
2Middle Englishcomplaynen—
3Old FrenchcomplaindreAlternative form of conplaindre
4Old Frenchconplaindreto complain; to make a complaint
5Medieval Latincomplangereto bewail, complain
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

Words derived from “complaining”

  • uncomplaining
  • uncomplainingly
  • complainingly
  • noncomplaining
  • uncomplainingness
Every word from Proto-Germanic kweduz →