Etymologically
Log in

consort

Etymology and origin of the English word consort

History Permalink

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈkɒnsɔːt/, /ˈkɑnsɔɹt/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English consort (“colleague, partner”),[2][3][4][5] borrowed from Middle French consort (“mate, partner”),[3][4][5] from Latin cōnsors (“sharer, partner”),[2][3][4][5][6] literally “having the same lot”,[4] from Latin con- (“with”) + sors (“lot, fate”).[2][3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A partner, companion or colleague (1419), a sense now obsolete.[7][3][4]

Semantic evolution

A ship sailing in company with another was a consort from 1602.[7] The sense “husband or wife” dates from 1634,[7][3][4] and it is used in titles such as queen consort (1667) and prince consort (1837), the spouse of a reigning monarch.[4] The verb, “to keep company”, appeared in 1588.[7][3][5] The musical sense, a group of singers or instrumentalists, comes from confusion with concert, with which the word has been mixed up in form and sense since the 16th century.[4][6]

Timeline

  • 1419 – a partner or colleague.[7][3]
  • 1584 – a company, a fellowship.[7][5]
  • 1588 – verb, to accompany; to associate.[7][3][5]
  • 1602 – a ship accompanying another.[7]
  • 1634 – a husband or wife.[7][3][4]
  • 1837 – prince consort.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A husband or wife, especially the spouse of a reigning monarch.
  2. A companion, associate or partner.
  3. A ship accompanying another.
  4. Association or partnership, as in the phrase to rule in consort with someone.
  5. A group of musicians performing together, or a set of instruments of the same family, such as viols.

Verb

  1. To keep company; to associate, as in consorting with criminals.
  2. To be in accord; to harmonize.

Word family

  • consorter
  • prince consort
  • queen consort
  • consortium
  • sort
  • concert

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Consort.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/consort. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·