Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “continual” come from?

Continual comes from Middle English continuel, from Old French continuel, from Latin continuus, meaning "uninterrupted or connected," formed from Latin con- and -uus.

continual (English): Recurring in steady, rapid succession; Seemingly...

Definitions

  1. Recurring in steady, rapid succession; Seemingly...

Ancestry of “continual”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcontinuel—
2Old Frenchcontinuel—
3Latincontinuuscontinuous, uninterrupted, successive; straight,...
4LatincontineoI hold or keep together/close, surround, contain;...
5Latincōn-—
6Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
7Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
8Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
10Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
11Middle Englishkyt—
12Germankitt—
13Old High Germankuti—
14Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
15Proto-Germanickweduzresin
16Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
17Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “continual”

  • continually
  • continualness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →