Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “confute” come from?

Confute comes from Middle French confuter, from Latin confutare, meaning to silence or refute by argument.

confute (English): To show to be false or wrong; to disprove or...

Definitions

  1. To show to be false or wrong; to disprove or...

Ancestry of “confute”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchconfuter—
2Latincōnfūtō—
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 “confute”

  • confutable
  • confuter
  • confuteth
  • inconfutable
  • confutement
  • confutative
  • confutest
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →