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Etymology and origin of the French word comment

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland
Ultimate origin
Latin (quōmodo)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kɔ.mɑ̃/[1]
  • IPA (Louisiana): /kɔ̃.mɑ̃/[1]

Forms

comment[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Old French com + -ment, from Old French com (“how, as”), the older form of comme, and the adverbial suffix.[2][3][4][5][6] “Com” continues Latin quōmodo (“in what way, how”), which had become “quomo” by the 5th century.[7] According to Bloch and Wartburg, French has used “comment” in questions since the 11th century, the suffix “-ment” having passed from the adverbs used in answers to the interrogative adverb.[7] Littré cites Diez's derivation from “quōmodo mente” and proposes instead “quōmodo inde”, noting that no form “*commement” is ever found.[8]

The base “com” is cognate with Romanian cum, Italian come, Spanish como and Portuguese como.[9][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1100 in the Chanson de Roland, in an indirect question: Deus set asez cument la fins en ert “God knows well how the end will be”.[2][8]

Semantic evolution

It long competed with comme in direct and indirect questions before supplanting it; until the end of the 17th century the two were often used interchangeably.[5][7] Used alone to express astonishment, comment ! is found about 1175 in Chrétien de Troyes, and in direct questions about 1190.[2][5] The old conjunction comment que “however” (about 1080) gave way to de quelque façon que.[5]

Greetings with comment have a long history: comment va ? (14th century), now familiar, comment ça va-t-il ? (1749) and comment ça va ? (1845, Flaubert).[5] The noun, mostly in le pourquoi et le comment, dates from about 1500.[2][5] In Louisiana French, and informally in Quebec, comment also means “how many, how much”.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 1080 – Comment que “however”, now obsolete.[5]
  • c. 1100 – Cument in an indirect question in the Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • c. 1175 – Comment ! expressing surprise, in Chrétien de Troyes's Yvain.[2]
  • c. 1190 – Direct question, in the Livre des Rois.[2]
  • 14th century – Comment va ?[5]
  • c. 1500 – Used as a noun, in the Farce de Folle Bobance.[2]
  • 1845 – Comment ça va ? in Flaubert.[5]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. How, in what manner, by what means, in a direct question: Comment allez-vous ?[10][11]
  2. How, in an indirect question: Dites-moi comment il faut faire.[10][12]
  3. Comment ?: asking someone to repeat: pardon?, what?[4][11]
  4. Expressing surprise or indignation: Comment ! tu t'es encore trompé ?[12][4]
  5. By extension, why: Comment n'êtes-vous pas avec les autres ?[10]
  6. (popular) Et comment !: certainly, and how![4]
  7. (Louisiana, informal Quebec) How many, how much.[1]

Noun

  1. The manner or circumstances of something: le pourquoi et le comment.[12][5]
  • comme
  • combien
  • Latin quōmodo

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1543a
  7. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  10. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  11. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  12. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Comment.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/comment. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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