English
communication
Communication comes from Old French communicacion, from Latin commūnicātiō ‘imparting’, from commūnicō ‘to share’, from commūnis ‘common’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘to change’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱom-moy-ni-sreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kommoinis‘common’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEcomoinis
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnis‘common, shared’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnicō‘to share, impart’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnicātiō‘sharing, imparting’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400communicacion‘communication’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500comunicacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1599communication
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘to change’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱom-moy-ni-sreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kommoinis‘common’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEcomoinis
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnis‘common, shared’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnicō‘to share, impart’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnicātiō‘sharing, imparting’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400communicacion‘communication’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500comunicacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1599communication
Earliest quotation: 1599, William Shakespeare, The Life of Henry the Fift: “Argument […] and friendly communication.”
Formed from communicate + -ion
Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to change’
Proto-Indo-European *ḱom-moy-ni-s
Proto-Italic *kommoinis ‘common’
Old Latin co(m)moinis
Latin commūnis ‘common’
English communicate
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’
mean, met, minute, minister, minor, mess, ministry, meal, min, commission, menu, missile, mere, mutual, minus, compromise, commit, dismiss, premise, immune, mole, mayhem, noodle, immunity, intermittent, moor, mural, ammo, municipality, ammunition, mite, omit, minstrel, monolith, mitra, remuneration, mitre, mitosis, meiosis, missive, 76 more
through Proto-Italic *kommoinis ‘common’
through Latin commūnis ‘common, public, general’
Today it means
noun The act or fact of communicating anything; transmission.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mey- / communication