Etymograph

English

compute

Compute comes from French computer ‘to compute’, from Latin putō ‘to clean, cleanse’, and ultimately from putus.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEputus
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEputō‘to clean, cleanse’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomputō‘calculate, compute’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomputāre
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentcomputer‘to compute’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1667compute

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEputus
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEputō‘to clean, cleanse’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomputō‘calculate, compute’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomputāre
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentcomputer‘to compute’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1667compute

Earliest quotation: 1667, John Milton, Book VI: “Effulgence of my Glorie, Son belov’d, / Son in…”

Linked words

through Latin putus

puta, 9 more

through Latin putō ‘to clean, cleanse’

discount, counter, dispute, imp, putative, indisputable, amputation, countable, indisputably, repute, amputee, imputation, disputation, disputable, amputate, depute, 8 more

through Latin computō ‘calculate, compute’

account, count, raconteur, 4 more

Today it means

verb To reckon, calculate.

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

Etymograph / Latin putus / compute

Shirt and support for this word