English
companion
Companion comes from Late Latin compāniōn- (literally ‘with-bread’, messmate), from Latin pānis ‘bread’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpānis‘bread’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcompāniōn-
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400compaignon
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500companion
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1597same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpānis‘bread’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcompāniōn-
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400compaignon
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500companion
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1597same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1597, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wiues of Windsor: “[L]et vs knog our praines together to be reuenge…”
The story
From Middle English companion, from Old French compaignon (‘companion’) (modern French compagnon), from Late Latin compāniōn- (nominative singular compāniō, whence French copain), from com- + pānis (literally, with + bread), a word first attested in the Frankish Lex Salica as a calque of a Germanic word, probably Frankish *galaibo, *gahlaibō (“messmate”, literally “with-bread”), from Proto-Germanic *gahlaibô.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- ‘to graze’
food, father, feed, pattern, pope, foster, apparent, fur, pastor, papa, penetration, patriot, patron, fodder, perpetrator, fad, pasture, forage, paternal, ayr, paternity, padre, perpetrate, patrician, pater, père, pav, patrimony, panini, pantaloons, compere, 60 more
through Latin pānis ‘bread, loaf’
pain, panic, accompany, bannock, pannier, 12 more
through Old French compaignon
Today it means
noun A friend, acquaintance or partner; someone with whom one spends time or accompanies
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin pānis / companion