English
comprehensive
Comprehensive comes from Middle French compréhensif, from Late Latin comprehēnsīvus, from Latin comprehendō ‘to grasp’, ultimately from PIE *gʰed- ‘to find’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰed-‘to find’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰnédtireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hendō‘to hold’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*praiɣendōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprehendō‘to grasp’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomprehendō‘to grasp, seize’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcomprehēnsīvus‘comprehensible’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600compréhensif
- Englishearliest quotation 2013comprehensive
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰed-‘to find’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰnédtireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hendō‘to hold’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*praiɣendōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprehendō‘to grasp’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomprehendō‘to grasp, seize’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcomprehēnsīvus‘comprehensible’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600compréhensif
- Englishearliest quotation 2013comprehensive
Earliest quotation: 2013, Peter Wilby, Finland spreads word on schools: “Imagine a country where children do nothing but play…”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- ‘to find’
yet, guess, prey, predator, predation, reprieve, apprehend, beget, impregnable, prehensile, 33 more
through Proto-Italic *praiɣendō
prisoner, imprison, impresario, 15 more
through Latin prehendō ‘catch, grasp’
prison, surprise, prize, apprentice, apprehension, reprehensible, apprehensive, 17 more
Today it means
adj Broadly or completely covering; including a large proportion of something.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- / comprehensive