"C" Word Origins

congratulating

Origin

By surface analysis, congratulate + -ing.

congratulation

Middle English

From Middle English congratulacion, from Middle French congratulation or its etymon Latin congrātulātiō, from congrātulor (“to congratulate”). By surface analysis, congratulate + -ion.

congregate

Latin

From Latin congregare, "to herd together into a flock" — from con- + grex ("flock, herd").

congregation

Latin · 1500

From Latin congregatio, from congregare ("to gather into a flock"); adopted by 16th-century Bible translator William Tyndale to render the Greek word for a "gathering of the faithful".

congress

Latin

From Latin congressus, past participle of congredi, "to come together" — from con- + gradi ("to step, go").

congressional

Origin

From congression + -al.

congressman

Origin

From congress + -man.

congruence

Origin

From Middle English congruence, from Latin congruentia (“agreement”), from congruēns, present active participle of congruō (“meet together, agree”).

congruent

Latin

From Latin congruent-, the present participle of congruere "to come together, agree".

congruity

Origin

From Old French congruité.

congruous

Origin

From Middle English [Term?], from Latin congruus, from congruō (“to coincide with; to agree”).

conical

Origin

From conic + -al.

conifer

Origin

From Latin cōnifer (“bearing cones”), by surface analysis, Latin cōnus (“cone”) + -fer.

conject

Origin

From Latin conjectus.

conjecture

Latin

From Latin coniectura, "a guess", from conicere, "to throw together" — from con- + iacere ("to throw"), the same root as "eject" and "project".

conjoin

Origin

From Old French conjoindre, from Latin coniungo, from con- (“together”) + iungo (“join”). Equivalent to con- + join.

conjoined

Origin

From conjoin + -ed.

conjugal

Latin

From Latin coniugalis, from coniunx ("spouse"), literally "one yoked together" — from con- + iugum ("yoke").

conjugate

Latin

From Latin conjugatus, past participle of conjugare "to yoke together", from com- "together" and jugum "yoke".

conjugation

Origin

Borrowed from Latin coniugātiō (“combining, connecting; conjugation”), from coniugō (“join, unite together”). Equivalent to conjugate + -ion.

conjunct

Origin

From Latin conjunctus, the perfect past participle of conjungō. Doublet of conjoint. See conjoin.

conjunction

Latin

From Latin coniunctio, "a joining", from coniungere ("to join together").

conjuncture

Origin

Borrowed from French conjoncture.

conjuration

Origin

From Middle English conjuracioun, from Middle French conjuration, from Old French conjuracion, from Latin coniuratio (“a swearing together, a conspiracy”).

conjure

Latin

From Old French conjurer, from Latin coniurare, "to swear together, conspire" — from con- + iurare ("to swear an oath").

conjurer

Origin

From Middle English conjurer, from Anglo-Norman conjurour (“conjurer, conspirator”). Equivalent to conjure + -er.

conk

Origin · 1800

A 19th-century variant of "conch," the word for a large spiral seashell, used figuratively for the nose or head.

conker

Origin

As a term for horse chestnut, derived from the name of the game conkers, which came first. Theories for the original meaning include 19th-century dialect conker (“snail-shell”) (the game of conkers was originally played using snail-shells), from conch + -er, or a variant of conquer.

Conley

Irish

Anglicization of Irish Ó Conghalaigh and Ó Conghaile, patronyms of Conghalach. Doublet of Connolly

Conlon

Irish

From Irish Ó Connalláin, which could be from con (“hound”) + leon (“lion”), though the second element could instead be from gal (“valor”), similar to O'Connell.

conman

Origin

A shortening of "confidence man" — someone who wins a victim's confidence in order to swindle them.

conn

Anglo-Norman

A variant of the older word "cond," from Anglo-Norman "conduire" ("to lead"), the same root that gives us "conduct" and "conduce."

connate

Origin

First attested in 1641; borrowed from Latin connātus, perfect active participle of connāscor (“to be born together (with)”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from con- + nāscor. Doublet of cognate.

connatural

Origin

From con- + natural.

connaturalize

Origin

From con- + naturalize.

connect

Latin

From Latin "connectere," meaning "to fasten together," from "con-" ("together") and "nectere" ("to bind") — a distant relative of "knot" and "knit."

connected

Origin

From "connect" + the adjective-forming suffix "-ed."

Connecticut

Origin

From a Mohegan-Pequot word, quinnitukqut, meaning "at the long tidal river."

connective

Origin

For connexive, borrowed from Latin connexīvus. Displacement of x by ct in Latin loanwords is very common. Compare connect, connectivum, connection.

connector

Origin

From "connect" + the agent suffix "-or," meaning "one that connects."

connel

Origin

Borrowed from Irish Conall.

Connell

Irish

From Irish Ó Conaill (literally “descendant of Conall”), from Proto-Celtic *Kunowalos (literally “dog chief”).

Connelly

Origin

Anglicised form of the Irish surnames Ó Conghalaigh and Ó Conghaile, patronyms of the given name Conghalach.

Connery

Origin

Variant of Conroy.

connexion

Origin

From Middle English connexioun, from Latin connexiō (“a conclusion, binding together”), from connectō.

Connie

Origin

A diminutive formed from names like Constance or Constantine with the affectionate "-ie" ending.

conniption

Origin

Since 1833, from American English. Unknown origin, probably a fanciful alteration of corruption etc., or maybe related to captious.

connivance

Origin

From early 18th c., replaced earlier form connivence (late 16th c.), from Latin connīventia, from connīvēns (“winking”).