"C" Word Origins

common sense

Latin

A rendering of Latin sensus communis, originally the faculty that unites the impressions of the five senses; the modern meaning of ordinary practical judgement developed in English.

commonality

Origin

From common + -ality.

commonalty

Origin

From Middle English comunalte, communalte, from Old French comunalté, comunauté (modern communauté), probably from an alteration of communité, from Latin commūnitās. Some senses are influenced by commonality.

commoner

Middle English

From Middle English comoner, built from common + the agent suffix -er.

commonly

Middle English

Inherited from Middle English comunly; equivalent to common + -ly.

commonplace

Ancient Greek

A translation of the Latin phrase locus communis, itself borrowed from the Ancient Greek koinos topos, both meaning roughly "a shared point" used in classical rhetoric.

commons

Origin

A shortened form of "House of Commons," itself from common in the sense of "the ordinary people."

commonship

Origin

From common + -ship. Compare North Frisian gemiinschap (“community”), Saterland Frisian Gemeenskup (“community”), West Frisian mienskip (“community”), Dutch gemeenschap (“community, fellowship”), German Gemeinschaft (“community, fellowship”), Swedish gemenskap (“community, fellowship”).

commonwealth

Origin

From common + wealth, originally meaning "the general well-being of the public" before it came to describe a self-governing state.

commotion

Latin

From Latin commotio ("agitation, disturbance"), from commovere ("to stir up violently") — the same root as "commove" and "motion."

commove

Origin

From Middle English commoeven, from Old French commovoir.

communal

Late Latin

From French communal, from Late Latin communalis, from communis ("common").

communazi

Origin

Blend of communist + Nazi.

commune

Latin

From Old French comune, from Latin communis ("common"). The word community comes from the same root.

communicable

Origin

From Old French communicable, Latin communicabilis.

communicate

Latin

From Latin communicare ("to share, make common"), from communis ("common").

communicating

Origin

From communicate + -ing.

communication

Latin

From Latin communicatio ("imparting, sharing"), from communicare ("to make common, to share").

communicative

Origin

From Middle French communicatif.

communicator

Latin

From communicate + -or, echoing the Latin agent noun communicator ("sharer, partner").

communion

Latin

From Ecclesiastical Latin communio ("communion, fellowship"), from communis ("common, shared").

communism

French · 1800

From French communisme, built from commun ("common") and the suffix -isme, in the mid-1800s.

communist

French

From French communiste, from commun ("common") + -iste ("-ist").

community

Latin

From Old French communité, from Latin communitas ("community, fellowship"), from communis ("common").

communiversity

Origin

Blend of community + university.

commutation

Origin

From French commutation, from Latin commūtātiōnem, accusative singular of commūtātiō.

commute

Latin

From Latin commutare ("to change altogether, exchange"), from com- + mutare ("to change").

commuter

Origin

From commute + the agent suffix -er.

Como

Italian

Borrowed from Italian Como.

comorbidities

Latin

From co- "together with" and morbidity, ultimately from Latin morbus "disease".

comorbidity

Latin

A modern medical formation from co- 'together with' and morbidity, itself from Latin morbus 'disease'.

compact

Latin

From Latin compactum ("agreement"), from compingere ("to fasten together"), from com- + pangere ("to fix, fasten").

compadre

Spanish

Borrowed from Spanish compadre, literally "co-father" — originally a term for a child's godfather in relation to the parents.

companion

Late Latin

From Old French compaignon, from Late Latin companio, literally "one who shares bread with," from com- ("with") + panis ("bread").

company

Old French

From Old French compaignie ("companionship"), related to companion — literally those who "share bread."

comparable

Latin

From Latin comparabilis, from comparare ("to compare").

comparand

Origin

From Latin comparandum; By surface analysis, compare + -and.

comparandum

Origin

From Latin comparandum, gerundive (neuter singular) of comparō.

comparative

Latin

From Latin comparativus, from comparare ("to compare").

compare

Latin

From Old French comparer, from Latin comparare ("to pair, match"), from compar ("equal to another").

comparison

Latin

From Old French comparison, from Latin comparatio, from comparare ("to compare").

compartment

Late Latin

From Middle French compartiment, from Italian compartimento, from Late Latin compartiri ("to divide up with, to share"), from com- + partiri ("to divide").

compascuity

Origin

From Medieval Latin compāscuitās, from compāscuus + -itās.

compass

Latin

From Old French compas, ultimately from Latin com- ("together") plus passus ("a step" or "pace") — the same root behind "pace" and "pass."

compassion

Latin

From Latin compati, "to suffer together with" — com- ("together") plus pati ("to suffer"), the same root as "patient" and "passion."

compassionate

Origin

Built from compassion plus the adjective ending -ate.

compassionless

Origin

From compassion + -less.

compatibility

Origin

From compatible plus the noun ending -ity.