English
compensation
Compensation comes from Latin compēnsātiō ‘weighing (of factors), balancing, equalizing’, 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 CEcompēnsō‘to balance, poise, weigh, offset’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcompēnsātiōas compensātiōnem‘weighing (of factors), balancing, equalizing’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400compensacion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500compensacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1796compensation
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 CEcompēnsō‘to balance, poise, weigh, offset’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcompēnsātiōas compensātiōnem‘weighing (of factors), balancing, equalizing’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400compensacion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500compensacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1796compensation
Earliest quotation: 1796, Edmund Burke, London: […] J. Owen: “No pecuniary compensation can possibly reward them.”
Formed from compensate + -ion
Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- ‘to stretch’
…
Latin pendō ‘to weigh, weigh out’
Latin pēnsō ‘to weigh, counterbalance’
Latin compensō ‘to weight together one thing against another,…’
Latin compēnsātus
English compensate
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 compēnsō ‘to balance, poise, weigh, offset’
Today it means
noun The act or principle of compensating.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- / compensation