Origin of compound
1
1350–1400; (v.) Middle English
compounen < Middle French
compon- (stem of
compondre) < Latin
compōnere, equivalent to
com-
com- +
pōnere to put; (adj.) Middle English
compouned, past participle of
compounen, as above
historical usage of compound
The English verb
compound, first appearing in Middle English in the late 14th century as
compounen, compownen, comes from Old French
compondre, compundre “to direct, arrange,” from Latin
compōnere “to put together, add together, match, match up.” The adjective
compound, originally a past participle of the verb, is also recorded at the end of the 14th century. The noun, a development of the adjectival sense, is recorded considerably later, in the first half of the 16th century.
The final, unetymological -d in compound arose during the 16th century; it is of the same origin as the -d in the English word sound (meaning “noise”), which developed from the earlier English soun (from Old French son, from Latin sonus ), and the archaic verb round “to whisper,” a derivative of rune “a secret.”
The final, unetymological -d in compound arose during the 16th century; it is of the same origin as the -d in the English word sound (meaning “noise”), which developed from the earlier English soun (from Old French son, from Latin sonus ), and the archaic verb round “to whisper,” a derivative of rune “a secret.”
OTHER WORDS FROM compound
Words nearby compound
Definition for compound (2 of 2)
compound
2
[ kom-pound ]
/ ˈkɒm paʊnd /
noun
(in the Far East) an enclosure containing residences, business offices, or other establishments of Europeans.
(in Africa) a similar enclosure for native laborers.
any enclosure, especially for prisoners of war.
any separate cluster of homes, often owned by members of the same family.
Origin of compound
2historical usage of compound
The noun
compound “a large, enclosed area” most likely comes from Malay
kampong, kampung “fenced-in space, enclosure, village, a part of town inhabited by a particular nationality.”
Compound originally referred to the European (originally Portuguese, Dutch, English) complexes of residences, factories, and warehouses in the East Indies, India, and China.
Kampong, kampung was associated in English with the noun
compound “something consisting of several parts” by 1679, when the sense “a large, enclosed area” is first recorded.The sense of “large, walled-in space in a prison or other detention camp” first appears in the mid-20th century.
Example sentences from the Web for compound
British Dictionary definitions for compound (1 of 2)
compound
1
noun (ˈkɒmpaʊnd)
verb (kəmˈpaʊnd) (mainly tr)
adjective (ˈkɒmpaʊnd)
Derived forms of compound
compoundable, adjective compounder, nounWord Origin for compound
C14: from earlier
compounen, from Old French
compondre to collect, set in order, from Latin
compōnere
British Dictionary definitions for compound (2 of 2)
compound
2
/ (ˈkɒmpaʊnd) /
noun
(esp formerly in South Africa) an enclosure, esp on the mines, containing the living quarters for Black workers
any similar enclosure, such as a camp for prisoners of war
(formerly in India, China, etc) the enclosure in which a European's house or factory stood
Word Origin for compound
C17: by folk etymology (influenced by
compound
1) from Malay
kampong village
Medical definitions for compound
compound
[ kŏm′pound′ ]
n.
A combination of two or more elements or parts.
A pure, macroscopically homogeneous substance that consists of atoms or ions of different elements in definite proportions that cannot be separated by physical means, and that have properties unlike those of its constituent elements.
adj.
Consisting of two or more substances, ingredients, elements, or parts.
v.
To combine so as to form a whole; mix.
To produce or create by combining two or more ingredients or parts.
Scientific definitions for compound
compound
[ kŏm′pound′ ]
A substance consisting of atoms or ions of two or more different elements in definite proportions joined by chemical bonds into a molecule. The elements cannot be separated by physical means. Water, for example, is a compound having two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom per molecule.
Adjective
Composed of more than one part, as a compound eye or leaf.