English
cooperate
Cooperate comes from Late Latin cooperātus ‘having worked together with another’, from cooperor ‘to work with’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ep-‘to work, toil, make’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃épos‘work’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*opos‘work’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEopus‘work, labor, accomplishment’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopera
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoperātus‘having worked, laboured, toiled’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoperor‘to work, labor’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcooperor‘to work with’
- Late Latin, derivedc. 200–600 CEcooperātus‘having worked together with another’perfect passive participle of cooperor
- Englishearliest quotation 2012cooperate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ep-‘to work, toil, make’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃épos‘work’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*opos‘work’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEopus‘work, labor, accomplishment’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopera
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoperātus‘having worked, laboured, toiled’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoperor‘to work, labor’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcooperor‘to work with’
- Late Latin, derivedc. 200–600 CEcooperātus‘having worked together with another’perfect passive participle of cooperor
- Englishearliest quotation 2012cooperate
Earliest quotation: 2012, Matt Bai, Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwind: “In polling by the Pew Research Center in November…”
The story
Originated 1595–1605 from Late Latin cooperātus, perfect passive participle of cooperor (‘to work with’), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- ‘to work, toil, make’
office, official, bus, copy, omnibus, copious, opulence, officiate, omnivore, officiant, officious, 22 more
through Latin opus ‘work, labor, accomplishment’
through Latin opera
opera, ure, oeuvre, operetta, 9 more
through Latin operor ‘to work, labor’
Today it means
verb To work or act together, especially for a common purpose or benefit.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- / cooperate