Where does “counter” come from?

Counter derives from Old French contre, from Latin contra, ultimately tracing through Latin rota and computare, with the prefix con- meaning "with" or "together."

counter (English): One who counts; A reckoner; someone who collects...

Definitions

  1. One who counts; A reckoner; someone who collects...

Ancestry of “counter”, step by step

counter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English countour

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishcountourAn accountant; a financial recordkeeper
2Middle FrenchcontoirAlternative spelling of comptoir
3Middle Frenchcompterto recount; to tell
4Old Frenchcompter—
5Latincomputāre—
6Latincomputōto calculate, compute, reckon together
7Latincom-allomorph of con-
8Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
9Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
10Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
11Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
12Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
13Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
14Middle Englishkyt—
15Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
16Old High Germankuti—
17Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
18Proto-Germanickweduzresin
19Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
20Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

via Old French contre

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchcontreagainst
2Latincontrāagainst
3Latinubīwhere? in what place?, in which place?
4Latincubī—
5Proto-Italic*kʷuðeiwhere

Words derived from “counter”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷet- →Every word from Proto-Germanic kweduz →