Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “contacting” come from?

Contact comes from Latin contactus, the past participle of contingo, formed from the prefix com- meaning "together" and tangere meaning "to touch."

contacting (English): present participle of contact

Definitions

  1. present participle of contact

Ancestry of “contacting”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcontactThe act of touching physically; being in close...
2Latincontactustouched on all sides, having been touched on all...
3Latincontingō—
4Latincōn-—
5Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
6Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
7Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
9Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
10Middle Englishkyt—
11Germankitt—
12Old High Germankuti—
13Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
14Proto-Germanickweduzresin
15Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
16Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “contacting”

  • noncontacting
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →