Etymograph

English

communist

Communist comes from French commun ‘common, communal’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱom-moy-ni-sreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kommoinis‘common’reconstructed
  4. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEcomoinis
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnis
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400comun‘common’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentcommun‘common, communal’
  8. French, derivedc. 1600–presentcommuniste
  9. Englishtodaycommunist

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱom-moy-ni-sreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kommoinis‘common’reconstructed
  4. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEcomoinis
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnis
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400comun‘common’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentcommun‘common, communal’
  8. French, derivedc. 1600–presentcommuniste
  9. Englishtodaycommunist

Equivalent to commune + -ist

Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to change’

…

Latin commūne ‘community, state’

Medieval Latin commūnia

Old French comune

Middle English commune

English commune

Linked words

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

mean, met, minute, minor, mess, minister, meal, min, commission, menu, ministry, mere, mutual, minus, missile, commit, compromise, mole, dismiss, premise, immune, mayhem, noodle, intermittent, moor, ammunition, municipality, mural, immunity, ammo, mite, remuneration, omit, monolith, mitra, mitre, minstrel, mitosis, meiosis, minuet, 75 more

through Proto-Italic *kommoinis ‘common’

commonly, 21 more

through Latin commūnis

common, telecommunication, excommunication, 22 more

Today it means

adj Of, relating to, supporting, or advocating communism.

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

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