Etymograph

English

postcommunist

Postcommunist comes from French communiste ‘communist’, from commun ‘common (shared)’, 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. Old Frenchc. 842–1400comun1‘common’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentcommun1‘common (shared)’
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentcommuniste1‘communist’
  9. English1500–presentcommunist1
  10. Englishearliest quotation 2005postcommunist1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English postcommunist
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2005, Michael Steven Fish: “This book differs in focus, argument, and method from…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-Wiktionary, English postcommunist‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱom-moy-ni-sWiktionary, English postcommunistreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kommoinisWiktionary, English postcommunist‘common’reconstructed
  4. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEcomoinisWiktionary, English postcommunist
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcommūnisWiktionary, English postcommunist
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400comunWiktionary, English postcommunist‘common’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentcommunWiktionary, English postcommunist‘common (shared)’
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentcommunisteWiktionary, English postcommunist‘communist’
  9. English1500–presentcommunistWiktionary, English postcommunist
  10. Englishearliest quotation 2005postcommunistWiktionary, English postcommunist. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2005, Michael Steven Fish: “This book differs in focus, argument, and method from…”

Linked words

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

mean, met, minute, minister, minor, mess, meal, commission, min, menu, ministry, mere, mutual, minus, missile, commit, compromise, dismiss, immune, premise, mole, mayhem, ammunition, noodle, intermittent, municipality, immunity, moor, mural, ammo, mite, remuneration, omit, monolith, minstrel, mitra, mitre, minuet, mitosis, meiosis, 65 more

through Proto-Italic *kommoinis ‘common’

commonly, 12 more

through Old Latin comoinis

telecommunication, excommunication, 11 more

through Latin commūnis

common, community, communication, communicate, communal, communion, commune, 15 more

through French commun ‘common (shared)’

communism, 8 more

through English communist

communistic, 7 more

Today it means

adj After communism.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “postcommunist”. 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- / postcommunist

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