English
commando
Commando comes from Portuguese comando ‘command’, from Latin commendō ‘to commend, entrust to, commit’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *manus ‘hand’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*manus‘hand’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*manuðō‘to hand over’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmandō‘commit, intrust, enjoin’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommendōas commendare‘to commend, entrust to, commit’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CE*commandarereconstructed
- Portuguesec. 1500–presentcomando‘command’
- Afrikaansmodernkommando
- Englishearliest quotation 1977commando
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*manus‘hand’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*manuðō‘to hand over’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmandō‘commit, intrust, enjoin’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommendōas commendare‘to commend, entrust to, commit’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CE*commandarereconstructed
- Portuguesec. 1500–presentcomando‘command’
- Afrikaansmodernkommando
- Englishearliest quotation 1977commando
Earliest quotation: 1977, Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace: “The most important objective was at Batna itself, where…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂- ‘to beckon, signal’
amaze, mannered, mastiff, 32 more
through Proto-Italic *manus ‘hand’
main, manner, manage, manual, manga, manifest, manus, mano, manacles, 31 more
through Latin mandō ‘commit, intrust, enjoin’
mandatory, mandate, manger, commendation, mandible, mandibular, mange, 14 more
through Latin commendō ‘to commend, entrust to, commit’
through Late Latin *commandare
Today it means
noun A small fighting force specially trained for making quick destructive raids against enemy-held areas.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *manus / commando