English
composition
Composition comes from Latin compositiō ‘arrangement, combination’, from positiō ‘position, place’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to build, cultivate’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-‘to build, cultivate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinō‘to put in place’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*sinō‘to put in place’reconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōnō‘put, place’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpositiō‘position, place’supine stem of pōnō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcompositiōas compositiō‘arrangement, combination’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400composicion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500composicioun‘the makeup, ingredients, or composition of something’
- Englishearliest quotation 1595composition
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-‘to build, cultivate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinō‘to put in place’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*sinō‘to put in place’reconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōnō‘put, place’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpositiō‘position, place’supine stem of pōnō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcompositiōas compositiō‘arrangement, combination’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400composicion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500composicioun‘the makeup, ingredients, or composition of something’
- Englishearliest quotation 1595composition
Earliest quotation: 1595, The Life and Death of King Richard the Second: “John of Gaunt. O how that name befits my…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to build, cultivate’
suppose, homeless, hamlet, bohemian, impose, homely, hame, 53 more
through Proto-Italic *sinō ‘to put in place’
suppository, impost, apposite, presupposition, prepositional, 41 more
through Latin *sinō ‘to put in place’
site, situation, posture, situate, supposition, preposition, positivism, situs, compostela, 16 more
through Latin pōnō ‘put, place’
post, purpose, positive, opposite, opponent, propose, opposition, expose, dispose, consolation, proposition, repository, proponent, exposition, exponent, disposition, deposition, expound, imposition, posit, presuppose, pone, 49 more
Today it means
noun The act of putting together; assembly.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- / composition