English
comprise
Comprise comes from Latin comprehendō ‘to lay hold of something on all sides’, from prehendō ‘catch, grasp’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *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‘catch, grasp’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomprehendōas comprehendere‘to lay hold of something on all sides’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400compris
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500comprisen
- Englishearliest quotation 1914comprise
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
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‘catch, grasp’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomprehendōas comprehendere‘to lay hold of something on all sides’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400compris
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500comprisen
- Englishearliest quotation 1914comprise
Earliest quotation: 1914, Louis Joseph Vance, An Outsider […]: “Three chairs of the steamer type, all maimed, comprised…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- ‘to find’
yet, guess, prey, predator, apprehend, predation, reprieve, beget, impregnable, prehensile, 33 more
through Proto-Italic *praiɣendō
prisoner, imprison, impresario, 15 more
through Latin prehendō ‘catch, grasp’
prison, prize, surprise, apprentice, apprehension, apprehensive, reprehensible, 17 more
Today it means
verb To be made up of; to consist of (especially a comprehensive list of parts).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- / comprise