English
commodore
Commodore comes from French commandeur ‘commander’, 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‘to order, command, enjoin’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommendō‘to commend, entrust to, commit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommandāre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400comander‘to command, to implore’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400comandeor‘commander’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600commandeur
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘commander’
- Dutchc. 1500–presentkommandeur
- Englishtodaycommodore
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‘to order, command, enjoin’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommendō‘to commend, entrust to, commit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommandāre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400comander‘to command, to implore’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400comandeor‘commander’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600commandeur
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘commander’
- Dutchc. 1500–presentkommandeur
- Englishtodaycommodore
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂- ‘to beckon, signal’
amaze, mannered, mastiff, 27 more
through Proto-Italic *manus ‘hand’
main, manner, manage, manual, manga, manifest, mano, manus, manacles, 26 more
through Latin mandō ‘to order, command, enjoin’
mandatory, mandate, manger, mandible, commendation, mandibular, mange, 9 more
through Latin commendō ‘to commend, entrust to, commit’
commend, commandeer, commandery, 3 more
through Latin commandāre
commandant, commandment, commando, 1 more
through Old French comander ‘to command, to implore’
through Old French comandeor ‘commander’
Today it means
noun A naval officer holding a rank between captain and rear admiral.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *manus / commodore