English
compensate
Compensate comes from Latin compensō ‘to weight together one thing against another,…’, from Proto-Italic *pendō ‘to hang, put in a hanging position’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- ‘to stretch’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)pend-‘to stretch’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)péndetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pendō‘to hang, put in a hanging position’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpendō‘to weigh, weigh out’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpēnsō‘to weigh, counterbalance’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcompensō‘to weight together one thing against another, balance, make good’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcompēnsātusperfect passive participle of compensō
- Englishearliest quotation 1627compensate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)pend-‘to stretch’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)péndetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pendō‘to hang, put in a hanging position’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpendō‘to weigh, weigh out’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpēnsō‘to weigh, counterbalance’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcompensō‘to weight together one thing against another, balance, make good’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcompēnsātusperfect passive participle of compensō
- Englishearliest quotation 1627compensate
Earliest quotation: 1627, (please specify the page, or |century=I to X): “The length of the night and the dews thereof…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- ‘to stretch’
pound, span, depend, pendant, poise, pansy, 16 more
through Proto-Italic *pendō ‘to hang, put in a hanging position’
spending, suspension, suspend, spender, 13 more
through Latin pendō ‘to weigh, weigh out’
spend, expensive, expense, pension, expenditure, appendix, perpendicular, penthouse, peso, expend, compendium, append, piso, 16 more
through Latin pēnsō ‘to weigh, counterbalance’
through Latin compensō ‘to weight together one thing against another,…’
Today it means
verb To do (something good) after (something bad) happens.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- / compensate