Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “accomplice” come from?

accomplice (Middle English) comes from Middle English a complice, from Old French complice, from Latin complex, from Latin complicō, from Latin cōn-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com, from Proto-Italic kom — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Ancestry of “accomplice”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englisha complice—
2Old Frenchcompliceaccomplice; confederate
3Latincomplexpartner, confederate
4Latincomplicō—
5Latincōn-—
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 “accomplice”

  • accomplice
  • accompliceship
  • accomplicity
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →