"C" Word Origins

conceivable

Origin

From conceive plus the suffix -able, meaning "able to be conceived (of)."

conceivably

Origin

From conceivable plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

conceive

Latin

From Old French concevoir, from Latin concipiō, "to take in, devise, conceive."

conceiver

Origin

From conceive + -er.

concentrate

French

Likely borrowed from French concentrer or a related Romance-language word, ultimately built from con- ("together") plus center, plus the verb-forming suffix -ate.

concentration

New Latin

From New Latin concentrātiō, describing the act of bringing something to a single point — built from concentrate plus -ion.

concept

Latin

Borrowed via Middle French concept from Latin conceptus, "a thought, purpose" — from concipiō, "to take in, conceive." A doublet of conceit.

conception

Latin

From Old French conception, from Latin conceptiō, "a becoming pregnant" or "a comprehending" — from concipiō ("conceive"). Related to concept.

conceptual

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin conceptuālis, ultimately from Latin conceptus, "conceived" — related to concept.

conceptus

Origin

From Latin cōncipiō (“to take hold of, to receive”), from Latin capiō (“to capture”).

concern

Latin

From Middle French concerner, ultimately from Latin concernō, "to mix or sift together" — later coming to mean "to have relevance to."

concerning

Origin

From concern plus -ing; the preposition and adjective both grew out of the verb's meaning.

concert

French

Borrowed from French concert, from Italian concerto — related to the word concerto.

concertina

Origin

From concert + -ina.

concerto

Italian

Borrowed from Italian concerto, related to concert.

concession

Latin

From Old French concession, from Latin concessiō, "a grant" — from concēdō (see concede).

conch

Ancient Greek

Borrowed via Latin concha from Ancient Greek kónkhē, meaning "mussel, cockle, or shell-like cavity."

concierge

Latin

Borrowed from French concierge, "caretaker, doorkeeper" — probably ultimately from Latin cōnservus, "fellow servant."

conciliate

Origin

Borrowed from Latin conciliātus, perfect passive participle of conciliō (“to unite”), from concilium (“council, meeting”).

conciliation

Origin

From Middle French conciliation.

conciliator

Origin

From Latin conciliātor. By surface analysis, conciliate + -or.

concise

Latin

From Latin concīsus, "cut short," from concīdere, "to cut to pieces."

concision

Origin

Borrowed from French concision, from Latin concisiō(n).

conclave

Latin

From Latin conclāve, "a room that can be locked" — from con- ("together") and clāvis ("key").

conclavist

Origin

From French conclaviste, Italian conclavista, from conclave.

conclude

Latin

From Latin conclūdere, "to shut up, close, end."

concluded

Latin

From Latin concludere 'to shut up, to close, to bring to an end', formed from con- 'together' and claudere 'to shut'.

conclusion

Latin

From Old French conclusion, from Latin conclūsiō, from conclūdere ("to conclude").

conclusive

Late Latin

From Late Latin conclusivus, from conclūdere ("to conclude").

conclusively

Origin

From conclusive plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

concoct

Latin

From Latin concoquere, "to boil together, digest" — from con- ("together") plus coquere ("to cook").

concoction

Latin

From Latin concoctio, related to concoquere ("to boil together, digest").

concomitant

Origin

First attested 1607; from Middle French concomitant, from Latin concomitāns, the present participle of concomitor (“to accompany”), from con- (“together”) + comitor (“to accompany”), from comes (“companion”).

concord

Latin

From Old French concorde, from Latin concordia, from concors ("of one mind, agreeing") — con- plus cor, cordis ("heart"). Compare accord.

concordant

Origin

French concordant, from Latin concordans, present participle of concordare. See concord.

Concorde

French

Named from French concorde ("concord, harmony"), marking the joint UK-France partnership that built the aircraft.

concourse

Latin

From Old French concours, from Latin concursus, from concurrere ("to run together"). Related to concur.

concrete

Latin

From Latin concretus, past participle of concrescere ("to grow together, harden"), from con- ("together") plus crescere ("to grow").

concretely

Origin

From concrete plus the adverb suffix -ly.

concretion

Origin

Borrowed from French concrétion, or Latin concretio.

concubinage

Latin

Through French from Latin concubina "concubine", from con- "with" and cubare "to lie".

concubine

Latin

From Latin concubina, from concumbere ("to lie together"), plus the feminine suffix -ina.

concupiscence

Origin

From Latin concupīscentia, from concupīscō (“to desire strongly, to desire eagerly; to covet”).

concur

Latin

From Latin concurrere ("to run together, agree"), from con- ("together") plus currere ("to run").

concurrence

Origin

From Old French concurrence.

concurrent

Origin

From Middle English concurrent, from Old French concurrent, from Latin concurrēns, present active participle of concurrō (“happen at the same time”), from con- (“with”) + currō (“run”).

concussion

Latin

From Latin concussio ("a violent shaking"), from concutere ("to shake violently").

condemn

Latin

From Old French condamner, from Latin condemnare ("to sentence, blame"), from com- plus damnare ("to condemn, harm"), from damnum ("damage, loss").