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communis

Etymology and origin of the Latin word communis

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Confidence
Probable
Formation
Compound
First attested
Naevius
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*h₂moi-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kɔmˈmuː.nɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [komˈmuː.nis][1]

Forms

commūnis (neuter commūne, comparative commūnior, adverb commūniter); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin com- + mūnis (“obliged”), literally “sharing the duties”.[2][1] Old Latin had comoinis.[3][1] The base is Proto-Italic *moini- (“duty, obligation”), as in mūnus “duty, gift”, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₂moi-ni- (“exchange”).[2][4]

The same compound is found in Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (gamains, “common”).[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Naevius onwards.[2] In Plautus Jupiter tells Alcmena to look after their common affairs.[4]

Semantic evolution

It first meant shared by two persons or parties, joint, and then shared by everyone in a group, as Cicero's “common yoke of wisdom”, belonging to the whole community, public, as Cato's “the common interest is at stake”, and universal.[4] From this it meant ordinary or everyday, as communis salutatio, and of people affable and sociable, as in Caecilius.[4][5]

In rhetoric it was used of arguments that either side could use, and in grammar it was used of a syllable that may be long or short.[4][1] In Medieval Latin communis as a noun was a close friend or common land.[6] English common came from it through Old French about 1300.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.[2][6]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses rem communem, “joint affairs”.[4][6]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato speaks of the common, public interest.[4][6]
  • c. 1300 – English common is recorded.[7]
  • late 14th century – English community comes from its derivative communitas.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Shared, joint, belonging to two or more.[4][1]
  2. Neutral; having the qualities of both sides.[4]
  3. Common to all in a group, general.[4][1]
  4. (rhetoric) Usable by either side.[4]
  5. Public, of the whole community.[4][1]
  6. Universal.[4][1]
  7. Common, ordinary.[4][1]
  8. Courteous, sociable, affable.[4][1]
  9. (grammar) Having both qualities (of a syllable, a verb).[1]

Word family

  • commūne
  • commūnitās
  • commūnitus
  • incommunis
  • commūnālis
  • commūnicātiō
  • commūnicātor
  • commūnicātus
  • commūnicō
  • commūniō
  • commūniter
  • commūnītiō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Communis.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/communis. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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