Etymograph

English

communist

Communist comes from French commun ‘common, communal’, and goes back to 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. Old Frenchc. 842–1400comun1‘common’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentcommun1‘common, communal’
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentcommuniste1
  9. Englishtodaycommunist1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English communist

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-Wiktionary, English communist‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱom-moy-ni-sWiktionary, English communistreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kommoinisWiktionary, English communist‘common’reconstructed
  4. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEcomoinisWiktionary, English communist
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnisWiktionary, English communist
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400comunWiktionary, English communist‘common’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentcommunWiktionary, English communist‘common, communal’
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentcommunisteWiktionary, English communist
  9. EnglishtodaycommunistWiktionary, English communist

Linked words

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

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

through Proto-Italic *kommoinis ‘common’

commonly, 20 more

through Latin commūnis

common, telecommunication, excommunication, 21 more

Today it means

adj Of, relating to, supporting, or advocating communism.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “communist”. 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- / communist

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