Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “comply” come from?

Comply comes from Catalan complir, from Latin complesco, from Latin compleo meaning "to fill up or complete," from the prefix com- meaning "together."

comply (English): To yield assent; to accord; to acquiesce, agree,...

Definitions

  1. To yield assent; to accord; to acquiesce, agree,...

Ancestry of “comply”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italiancomplire—
2Catalancomplirto fulfil; to carry out; to finish, to complete,...
3LatincomplescoI fulfill, accomplish
4LatincompleoI fill up, fill full, fill out; make up,...
5Latincom-allomorph of con-
6Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
7Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
8Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
9Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt—
13Germankitt—
14Old High Germankuti—
15Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
16Proto-Germanickweduzresin
17Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
18Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “comply”

  • compliance
  • compliant
  • complying
  • noncompliance
  • noncompliant
  • compliantly
  • compliancy
  • noncomplying
  • complier
  • uncomplying
  • incompliance
  • incompliant
  • uncompliant
  • overcompliance
  • compliable
  • noncomplier
  • complieth
  • undercompliance
  • hypercompliant
  • complyingly
  • uncompliance
  • compliest
  • discompliance
  • incompliable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →