companion English · revision 129
5 Oct 2026, 22:00 by bogdan “Add pronunciation, sense history, timeline, meanings, word family, related words” current version
Changes in this edit
@@ -1,7 +1,49 @@
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA: /kəmˈpæn.jən/^(Wiktionary)
+
==Etymology==
− From [[enm|compaignon]],^(AHD) [[bor|fro|compaignon]],^(AHD)^(OED 1989) [[der|la-lat|compāniō|t=messmate]] (accusative ''compāniōnem''),^(OED 1989)^(RHWU) ultimately [[af|la|com-|pānis|t1=with, together|t2=bread]],^(AHD)^(Etymonline) literally “bread-fellow”.^(Etymonline) Recorded in English from c. 1300.^(Etymonline)
+ From [[enm|compaignon]],^(AHD) [[bor|fro|compaignon]],^(AHD)^(OED 1989) [[der|la-lat|compāniō|t=messmate]] (accusative ''compāniōnem''),^(OED 1989)^(RHWU) ultimately [[af|la|com-|pānis|t1=with, together|t2=bread]],^(AHD)^(Etymonline) literally “bread-fellow”.^(Etymonline)
The Late Latin word is first found in the Frankish ''Lex Salica'' and is probably a translation of a Germanic word;^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary) compare [[got|gahlaiba|t=messmate]].^(OED 1989)^(RHWU) The English word displaced [[ang|ġefēra|t=fellow traveller]].^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ “One who accompanies or associates with another; a mate, a fellow” (c. 1300).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ The sense of a person paid to live with another, but treated as a friend and equal rather than a servant, is attested by 1766.^(Etymonline) From the 16th century the word also named a member of an order of knighthood, now its lowest grade,^(OED 1989)^(RHWU) and, of things, a handbook or guide.^(OED 1989)^(RHWU) In astronomy it means the fainter member of a double star (1782).^(OED 1989) The nautical ''companion'' (as in ''companionway'') is a separate word, altered by folk etymology from Dutch ''kampanje'' “quarterdeck”.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(OED 1989)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 1297 – “one who accompanies another; a mate, fellow”.^(OED 1989)
+ * 1568 – a member of an order of knighthood.^(OED 1989)
+ * 1577 – figuratively, of things; later a title for handbooks.^(OED 1989)
+ * 1622 – verb, “to accompany”.^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)
+ * 1766 – a paid companion treated as an equal.^(Etymonline)
+ * 1782 – the fainter star of a double star.^(OED 1989)
+
+ ==Modern meaning==
+ ===Noun===
+ # A person who accompanies or spends time with another; a comrade.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # A person employed to live or travel with another.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # One of a pair or set of matching things.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # A handbook or guide.^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # A member of the lowest rank in some orders of knighthood.^(OED 1989)^(RHWU)
+
+ ===Verb===
+ # To accompany.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[companionless]]
+ * [[companionable]]
+ * [[uncompanionable]]
+ * [[companionate]]
+ * [[companionship]]
+ * [[companionway]]
+ * [[companion piece]]
+ * [[companion ladder]]
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[accompany]]
+ * [[company]]
+
==References==
{{reflist}}