English
commander
Commander comes from Middle English comaundour, from Old French comandeor, from comander, from Latin commandō, a variant of commendō, from mandō ‘to order’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmandō‘to order’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommendō‘to commend’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommandō‘to commend, entrust’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400comander‘to command’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400comandeor
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500comaundour‘commander’
- Englishearliest quotation 1883commander
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmandō‘to order’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommendō‘to commend’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommandō‘to commend, entrust’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400comander‘to command’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400comandeor
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500comaundour‘commander’
- Englishearliest quotation 1883commander
Earliest quotation: 1883, United States. War Department, Annual Reports of the War Department: “I think if post commanders of the unchaplained posts…”
Equivalent to command + -er
Latin commendō ‘to commend, entrust’
Late Latin commandō
Old French comander ‘to command’
Middle English commanden
English command
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂- ‘to beckon, signal’
amaze, mannered, mastiff, 32 more
through Proto-Italic *manus ‘hand’
main, manage, manner, manual, manga, manifest, mano, manus, manacles, 31 more
through Latin mandō ‘to order, command, enjoin’
mandatory, mandate, commendation, manger, mandible, mange, mandibular, 14 more
through Latin commendō ‘to commend, entrust to, commit’
through Old French comandeor
Today it means
noun One who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin mandō / commander