Where does “continent” come from?

Continent comes from Latin continentem, the accusative form of continens, meaning "holding together" or "connected," derived from Latin continere, composed of the prefix con- meaning "together" and tenere meaning "to hold."

continent (English): Each of the main continuous land-masses on the...

Definitions

  1. Each of the main continuous land-masses on the...

Ancestry of “continent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latincontinēnslimiting, enclosing
2LatincontineoI hold or keep together/close, surround, contain;...
3Latincōn-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects
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
10Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
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 “continent

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-