Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “count” come from?

Count descends from Middle English counten, from Anglo-Norman conte, from Latin comitatus, ultimately from Latin comes meaning a companion or attendant, derived from the prefix com- meaning with or together.

count (English): To recite numbers in sequence; To determine the...

Definitions

  1. To recite numbers in sequence; To determine the...

Ancestry of “count”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcounten—
2Anglo-Normanconterto tell; to say; to recount; to add up
3Old Frenchconterto tell; to say; to recount; to add up
4Latincomputō—
5Latincom-allomorph of con-
6Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
7Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
8Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
9Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt—
13Germankitt—
14Old High Germankuti—
15Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
16Proto-Germanickweduzresin
17Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
18Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “count”

  • countless
  • countdown
  • undercount
  • countability
  • counteth
  • noncount
  • countship
  • uncount
  • countest
  • overcount
  • countlessly
  • multicount
  • uncountability
  • wordcount
  • pseudocount
  • countline
  • countback
  • countlessness
  • photocount
  • outcount
  • countor
  • plycount
  • countify
  • forecount
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →