Etymograph

English

compose

Compose comes from Old French composer ‘to compose, compound, adjust, settle’, from Latin pōnō ‘put’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to cultivate’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-‘to cultivate’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinétireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinō‘to put in place’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*pozinōreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōnō‘put’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcompōnōas componere, as adaptation‘to put together, compose’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400composer‘to compose, compound, adjust, settle’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500composen
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1667compose

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-‘to cultivate’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinétireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinō‘to put in place’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*pozinōreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōnō‘put’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcompōnōas componere, as adaptation‘to put together, compose’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400composer‘to compose, compound, adjust, settle’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500composen
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1667compose

Earliest quotation: 1667, John Milton, Book II: “How in safety best we may / Compose our…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to cultivate’

homeless, suppose, hamlet, bohemian, impose, homely, hame, 53 more

through Proto-Indo-European *tḱinéti

prepositional, apposite, 41 more

through Proto-Italic *sinō ‘to put in place’

site, situation, posture, situate, supposition, preposition, positivism, situs, 43 more

through Proto-Italic *pozinō

opposition, proposition, exposition, deposition, disposition, imposition, suppository, presupposition, impost, 26 more

through Latin pōnō ‘put’

post, position, positive, purpose, opposite, opponent, propose, consolation, expose, repository, proponent, dispose, exponent, expound, posit, pone, presuppose, 54 more

Today it means

verb To make something by merging parts.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- / compose

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