Where does “compost” come from?

compost (French) comes from Medieval Latin compostum, from Latin compositum, from Latin compositus, from Latin compono, from Latin com-, from Latin con-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

compost (French): compost, natural fertilizer produced by decaying...

Definitions

  1. compost, natural fertilizer produced by decaying...

Ancestry of “compost”, step by step

compost traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Medieval Latin compostum

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Medieval Latincompostum—
2Latincomposituminflection of compositus: ##...
3Latincompositusordered, arranged, regular, matching; composed,...
4LatincomponoI arrange, compile, compose, make up; I...
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—
13Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
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,...

via Old French composte

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchcompostemixture of leaves, manure, etc., for fertilizing...
2Latincompostus—
3Latincompōnere—

Words derived from “compost”

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