Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “congratulate” come from?

Congratulate comes from Latin congratulari, formed from the prefix con- meaning "together" and gratulari meaning "to wish joy," ultimately from cum meaning "with."

congratulate (English): To express one’s sympathetic pleasure or joy to...

Definitions

  1. To express one’s sympathetic pleasure or joy to...

Ancestry of “congratulate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latincongratulatuscongratulated
2LatincongratulorI wish joy; I rejoice with; I congratulate
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 “congratulate”

  • congratulatory
  • congratulator
  • congratulatorily
  • congratulative
  • congratulateth
  • self-congratulate
  • uncongratulatory
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →