Etymograph

English

communal

Communal comes from French communal ‘commune’, from Proto-Italic *kommoinis ‘common’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-1‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱom-moy-ni-s1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kommoinis1‘common’reconstructed
  4. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEcomoinis1
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnis1
  6. Late Latinmoderncommūnālis1
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentcommunal1‘commune’
  8. Englishtodaycommunal1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English communal

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-Wiktionary, English communal‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱom-moy-ni-sWiktionary, English communalreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kommoinisWiktionary, English communal‘common’reconstructed
  4. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEcomoinisWiktionary, English communal
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnisWiktionary, English communal
  6. Late LatinmoderncommūnālisWiktionary, English communal
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentcommunalWiktionary, English communal‘commune’
  8. EnglishtodaycommunalWiktionary, English communal

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’

mean, met, minister, minute, ministry, minor, mess, commission, min, menu, meal, missile, mere, minus, mutual, dismiss, compromise, premise, commit, mole, immune, ammunition, mayhem, noodle, immunity, intermittent, moor, municipality, ammo, mite, mural, remuneration, omit, monolith, minstrel, mitra, mitre, mitosis, meiosis, missive, 73 more

through Proto-Italic *kommoinis ‘common’

commonly, 20 more

through Latin commūnis

common, telecommunication, excommunication, 21 more

Today it means

adj Pertaining to a community or a commune.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “communal”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mey- / communal

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