English
complexus
Complexus comes from Latin complexus ‘embrace’, from plectō ‘to plait, weave, braid’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleḱ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleḱ-‘to fold, plait, weave’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*plektōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEplectō‘to plait, weave, braid’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomplector‘to embrace or hug’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomplexus‘embrace’
- Englishearliest quotation 1827same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleḱ-‘to fold, plait, weave’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*plektōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEplectō‘to plait, weave, braid’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomplector‘to embrace or hug’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomplexus‘embrace’
- Englishearliest quotation 1827same form
Earliest quotation: 1827, The Oriental Herald: “Whenever any of the great complexuses of the nerves,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pleḱ- ‘to fold, plait, weave’
apply, display, reply, employment, explicit, employ, exploitation, deploy, replica, exploit, imply, implicit, fiasco, flax, ploy, flack, ply, complication, inexplicable, complicate, accomplice, implicate, supple, complicity, supplication, pliable, triplicate, flagon, pliant, splay, explication, 35 more
through Latin plectō ‘to plait, weave, braid’
Today it means
noun A complex, an aggregate of parts
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pleḱ- / complexus