Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cost” come from?

Cost comes from German kosten, from Latin costa, from Latin constare meaning "to stand together," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵews-.

cost (English): To incur a charge of; to require payment of a ...

Definitions

  1. To incur a charge of; to require payment of a ...

Ancestry of “cost”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcostmeans
2Middle Englishcostento cost
3Old FrenchcousterAlternative form of coster; to cost
4Medieval Latincosto—
5Latinconstoto stand together; to stand still; to remain the...
6Latincom-allomorph of con-
7Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
8Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
9Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
10Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
12Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
13Middle Englishkyt—
14Germankitt—
15Old High Germankuti—
16Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
17Proto-Germanickweduzresin

Words derived from “cost”

  • costless
  • isocost
  • costlessly
  • oncost
  • costeth
  • overcost
  • costlessness
  • recost
  • costable
  • costest
  • costworthy
  • oncostman
  • miscost
  • noncostable
  • uncostable
  • senkosta
  • kosto
  • multekosta
  • kosti
  • malmultekosta
  • コスト
  • cost
  • prifgost
  • costau
Every word from Proto-Germanic kweduz →