Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “commencer” come from?

commencer (French) comes from Italian cominciare, from Spanish comenzar, from Vulgar Latin cominitiare, from Latin com-, from Latin con-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com, from Proto-Italic kom — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

commencer (French): to begin, commence

Definitions

  1. to begin, commence

Ancestry of “commencer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italiancominciareto begin, to start, to commence, to set about
2Spanishcomenzarto begin; to commence
3Vulgar Latincominitiarepresent active infinitive of *cominitiō;...
4Latincom-allomorph of con-
5Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
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 “commencer”

  • recommencer
  • recommence
  • commence
  • komenciĝi
  • komenci
  • rekomenci
  • komencaĉi
  • rikomencar
  • komencar
  • komanse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →