Etymograph

English

common

Common comes from Middle English comun, from Anglo-Norman comun, from Latin commūnis ‘common, public’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to exchange, change’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘to exchange, change’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱom-moy-ni-s‘held in common’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kommoinis‘common’reconstructed
  4. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEcomoinis
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnis‘common, public, general’
  6. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400comun
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500comun‘common’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1526common

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘to exchange, change’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱom-moy-ni-s‘held in common’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kommoinis‘common’reconstructed
  4. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEcomoinis
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnis‘common, public, general’
  6. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400comun
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500comun‘common’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1526common

Earliest quotation: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “Then entred Satan into Judas, whose syr name was…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’

mean, met, minister, minute, ministry, minor, mess, meal, min, menu, mutual, commission, missile, mere, minus, immune, dismiss, premise, compromise, immunity, municipality, commit, ammunition, mural, mayhem, noodle, intermittent, mole, remuneration, mite, moor, ammo, minstrel, omit, mitra, mitre, mitosis, meiosis, monolith, missive, 67 more

through Old Latin comoinis

telecommunication, excommunication, communistic, 11 more

through Latin commūnis

community, communication, communist, communicate, communism, communal, communion, commune, communiqué, 16 more

Today it means

adj Mutual; shared by more than one.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mey- / common

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