English
convenience
Convenience comes from Latin conveniens ‘suitable’, from conveniō ‘to come together, suit’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- ‘to step’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷem-‘to step’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷm̥-yé-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gʷəniō‘to come’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*komgʷəniō‘to come together’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEconveniōas convenire, present participle‘to come together, suit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconveniens‘suitable’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconvenientia
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602convenience
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷem-‘to step’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷm̥-yé-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gʷəniō‘to come’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*komgʷəniō‘to come together’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEconveniōas convenire, present participle‘to come together, suit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconveniens‘suitable’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconvenientia
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602convenience
Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “Let's further think of this; / Weigh what convenience…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- ‘to step’
come, coming, base, basic, basis, revenue, bass, diabetes, cum, venue, pug, contravention, misadventure, quim, 56 more
through Proto-Italic *gʷəniō ‘to come’
event, adventure, avenue, inventory, intervene, advent, inventor, invent, souvenir, provenance, revenant, circumvention, contravene, 23 more
through Latin conveniō ‘to come together, suit’
through Latin conveniens ‘suitable’
Today it means
noun The quality of being convenient.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- / convenience