English
conductor
Conductor comes from Latin condūcō ‘to lead’, from Proto-Indo-European *déwkti ‘to pull, to draw’, and ultimately from *dewk-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déwkti‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*doukō‘to lead’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdūcō‘to lead, guide, conduct, lead away’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcondūcō‘to lead’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconductor
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400conduitor
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600conductour
- Englishearliest quotation 1687conductor
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déwkti‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*doukō‘to lead’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdūcō‘to lead, guide, conduct, lead away’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcondūcō‘to lead’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconductor
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400conduitor
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600conductour
- Englishearliest quotation 1687conductor
Earliest quotation: 1687, John Dryden, The Third Part: “[…]Zeal, the blind conductor of the will”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dewk- ‘to pull, to draw’
team, tie, touch, introduce, toy, tying, tighten, tug, tow, duchess, tuck, herzog, tether, taut, untie, tew, teem, induct, 97 more
through Proto-Indo-European *déwkti ‘to pull, to draw’
unproductive, productively, abductor, preproduction, 96 more
through Proto-Italic *doukō ‘to lead’
producer, productive, productivity, reproduce, reproduction, deduction, seduction, byproduct, deduct, inductive, reductive, subduction, transduction, abduct, overproduction, dukedom, ductile, adductor, adduct, inductor, 100 more
through Latin dūcō ‘to lead, guide, conduct, lead away’
education, production, produce, product, reduce, duke, introduction, reduction, dolphin, educate, douche, induce, doge, induction, duct, educator, subdue, seduce, duchy, transducer, redux, redoubt, duc, dux, duce, ducal, 120 more
through Latin condūcō ‘to lead’
Today it means
noun One who conducts or leads; a guide; a director.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dewk- / conductor