Etymograph

English

compromise

Compromise comes from Late Latin compromissum ‘a compromise, originally a mutual promise to…’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *mey-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-1root named by Wiktionary
  2. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcompromissum1‘a compromise, originally a mutual promise to refer to arbitration’
  3. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600compromis1
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1595compromise1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English compromise
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1595, The Life and Death of King Richard the Second: “But basely yielded upon compromise / That which his…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-Wiktionary, English compromiseroot named by Wiktionary
  2. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcompromissumWiktionary, English compromise‘a compromise, originally a mutual promise to refer to arbitration’
  3. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600compromisWiktionary, English compromise
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1595compromiseWiktionary, English compromise. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1595, The Life and Death of King Richard the Second: “But basely yielded upon compromise / That which his…”

The story

From Middle French compromis, from Medieval Latin, Late Latin compromissum (‘a compromise, originally a mutual promise to refer to arbitration’), prop. neuter of Latin compromissus, past participle of compromittere (‘to make a mutual promise to abide by the decision of an arbiter’), from com- (‘together’) + promittere (‘to promise’); see promise.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *mey-

mean, met, community, common, minute, minister, mess, meal, communication, minor, commission, ministry, menu, mutual, min, immune, mere, communicate, ammunition, immunity, communist, minus, missile, commit, municipality, mole, mural, dismiss, ammo, mayhem, noodle, communal, communism, moor, communion, remuneration, intermittent, premise, commune, mite, 77 more

Today it means

noun The settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “compromise”. 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- / compromise

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