Where does “combien” come from?
combien (French) comes from Old French combien, from Old French bien, from Latin bene, from Latin bonus, from Old Latin duenos, from Proto-Italic dwenos, from Proto-Indo-European dew- — to show favour, revere; to fail, to lag, to be...
combien (French): how much; how many
Definitions
- how much; how many
Ancestry of “combien”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | combien | how much, how many |
| 2 | Old French | bien | well; indeed; possession; object of value |
| 3 | Latin | bene | well; properly, exactly; agreeably, favorably |
| 4 | Latin | bonus | good, honest, brave, noble, kind, pleasant;... |
| 5 | Old Latin | duenos | Alternative form of duonus |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | dwenos | good |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dew- | to show favour, revere; to fail, to lag, to be... |