English
comply
Comply comes from Latin compleō ‘to finish, complete’, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm ‘beside, near’, and ultimately from *pleh₁- ‘to fill’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleh₁-‘to fill’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱóm‘beside, near’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcompleō‘to finish, complete’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomplēre
- Italianc. 1300–presentcomplire
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602comply
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleh₁-‘to fill’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱóm‘beside, near’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcompleō‘to finish, complete’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomplēre
- Italianc. 1300–presentcomplire
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602comply
Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet: “[Y]our hands come then, th’appurtenance of welcome is faſhion…”
The story
The word is very close to the French verb complaire which means to satisfy or to please. The word is also cognate with Old French complir (‘to accomplish, complete; to do’) (modern French accomplir (‘to accomplish, achieve’)).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- ‘to fill’
people, public, full, popular, plus, fill, plenty, poll, supply, folk, plain, supplement, manipulation, implement, plural, ample, plethora, depletion, amplitude, plenary, replenish, puri, amplify, replete, plenum, volk, deplete, plebs, plebeian, fulsome, 78 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm ‘beside, near’
among, conference, gain, consider, competition, counter, consistent, concrete, cum, con, cue, hind, commodity, likeness, compulsory, contra, concierge, kata, connotation, compel, condiment, limbed, condescend, 32 more
through Latin compleō ‘to finish, complete’
Today it means
verb To yield assent; to accord; to acquiesce, agree, consent; to adapt oneself, to conform.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- / comply