English
community
Community comes from Middle English communite, from Old French communité, from Latin commūnitās ‘community’, from commūnis ‘common’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to change’.
- 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’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnitās‘community; public spirit’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400communité
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500communite
- Englishearliest quotation 1586community
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’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnitās‘community; public spirit’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400communité
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500communite
- Englishearliest quotation 1586community
Earliest quotation: 1586, Giraldus Cambrensis [i.e., The Irish Historie Composed and Written by Giraldus Cambrens: “[W]e are not borne to our ſelues alone, but…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’
mean, met, minute, minister, minor, mess, commission, meal, ministry, min, menu, missile, mere, mutual, minus, compromise, dismiss, premise, mole, commit, immune, mayhem, noodle, moor, mural, ammo, intermittent, ammunition, municipality, remuneration, immunity, mite, minstrel, monolith, omit, meiosis, mitra, mitosis, mitre, missive, 75 more
through Proto-Italic *kommoinis ‘common’
through Latin commūnis ‘common, public’
Today it means
noun A group sharing common characteristics, such as the same language, law, religion, or tradition.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mey- / community