Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “conscious” come from?

Conscious comes from Latin conscius, formed from the prefix com- meaning "with" and the root meaning "knowing," ultimately expressing the sense of being aware together or jointly knowing.

conscious (English): Alert, awake; with one's mental faculties active;...

Definitions

  1. Alert, awake; with one's mental faculties active;...

Ancestry of “conscious”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinconsciusconscious; aware , privy; guilty
2Latinconsciō—
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 “conscious”

  • consciousness
  • unconscious
  • consciously
  • unconsciously
  • subconscious
  • unconsciousness
  • subconsciously
  • selfconscious
  • nonconscious
  • preconscious
  • subconsciousness
  • unselfconscious
  • semiconscious
  • superconscious
  • semiconsciousness
  • superconsciousness
  • nonconsciously
  • unselfconsciousness
  • foreconscious
  • hyperconscious
  • preconsciously
  • semiconsciously
  • overconscious
  • preconsciousness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →