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.”

OTHER WORDS FROM 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

2
1670–80; alteration, by association with compound1, of Malay kampung village, collection, gathering; cf. kampong

historical 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, noun

Word 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
[ kŏmpound′ ]

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
[ kŏmpound′ ]

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.

Cultural definitions for compound

compound

In chemistry, a substance containing two or more elements in definite proportions.