Where does “complaint” come from?
Complaint derives from Middle English compleynte, from Anglo-Norman compleint, from Old French compleindre, from Latin planctus (lamentation), from plango (to strike or beat), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European plak-.
complaint (English): The act of complaining; A grievance, problem,...
Definitions
- The act of complaining; A grievance, problem,...
Ancestry of “complaint”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | compleynte | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | compleint | lament; wail; complaint; past participle of... |
| 3 | Old French | compleindre | to have compassion; to lament; to bewail; to... |
| 4 | Latin | planctus | struck, beaten; bewailed, lamented, mourned;... |
| 5 | Latin | -tus | Forms the past participle of verbs; Forms... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -tus | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tus | Derives action nouns from verb roots |