English
complain
Complain comes from Medieval Latin complangere ‘to bewail, complain’, from Latin plango ‘to strike, beat, flap’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pel-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pel-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pl(e)h₂-n-g-e-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*plāngōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEplango‘to strike, beat, flap’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEplangere‘to strike, beat, as the breast in extreme grief, bewail’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500complangere‘to bewail, complain’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400complaindre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500complaynen
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1597complain
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pel-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pl(e)h₂-n-g-e-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*plāngōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEplango‘to strike, beat, flap’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEplangere‘to strike, beat, as the breast in extreme grief, bewail’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500complangere‘to bewail, complain’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400complaindre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500complaynen
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1597complain
Earliest quotation: c. 1597, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wiues of Windsor: “Now, Master Shallow, you'll complain of me to the…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pel-
film, felt, push, simple, simply, filter, powder, fold, pulse, pillow, repeal, pollen, flaw, expel, repel, palpable, propel, palate, palladium, pall, palatable, pelt, compulsive, wallow, peloton, polemic, muffle, pollinate, tuple, pulver, palatal, palp, pillion, apoplexy, peplum, interpolate, 63 more
through Latin plango ‘to strike, beat, flap’
Today it means
verb To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pel- / complain