Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “-ment” come from?

-ment (Old French) comes from Latin -mentum, from Latin -menta, from Proto-Indo-European -mn̥ — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs.

-ment (Old French): Used to form adverbs, most of the time equivalent...

Definitions

  1. Used to form adverbs, most of the time equivalent...

Ancestry of “-ment”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latin-mentuminstrument, medium, or result of; e.g....
2Latin-mentanominative plural of -mentum; accusative plural...
3Proto-Indo-European-mn̥Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs

Words derived from “-ment”

  • government
  • management
  • treatment
  • movement
  • statement
  • judgment
  • investment
  • assessment
  • employment
  • equipment
  • department
  • commitment
  • settlement
  • punishment
  • arrangement
  • excitement
  • involvement
  • measurement
  • requirement
  • engagement
  • achievement
  • attachment
  • adjustment
  • enjoyment
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -mn̥ →