Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “contact” come from?

Contact derives from Latin contactus, the past participle of contingere, meaning to touch or come together, formed from the prefix com- meaning with or together.

contact (English): The act of touching physically; being in close...

Definitions

  1. The act of touching physically; being in close...

Ancestry of “contact”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latincontactustouched on all sides, having been touched on all...
2Latincontingō—
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 “contact”

  • contacting
  • contactor
  • noncontact
  • precontact
  • contactless
  • microcontact
  • contactable
  • recontact
  • noncontacting
  • intercontact
  • contactee
  • contactin
  • anticontact
  • nanocontact
  • uncontactable
  • overcontact
  • contactual
  • semicontact
  • paracontact
  • paleocontact
  • noncontactable
  • non-contact
  • 콘택트
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →