Where does “complementary” come from?

Complementary comes from English complement, from Latin -arius, from Latin -alis, from Latin con-, ultimately from Latin com meaning "together."

complementary (English): Acting as a complement; making up a whole with...

Definitions

  1. Acting as a complement; making up a whole with...

Ancestry of “complementary”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcomplementSomething that completes; the consummation; The...
2Latincomplementumcomplement
3Latincompleōto fill up, fill full, fill out; make up, complete
4Latincōn-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects
5Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
6Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
7Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
9Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
10Middle Englishkyt
11Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
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 “complementary

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-Every word from Latin cōn-Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷet-