Etymology

compliment

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Today it means: An expression of praise, congratulation, or respect. Full definition →

French compliment ← Italian complimento ← Spanish cumplimiento
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compliment · noun1

  1. Latin · derived fromcomplēmentum
  2. Spanish · derived fromcumplimiento
  3. Italian · derived fromcomplimento
  4. French · borrowed fromcompliment
  5. English todaycompliment

Borrowed from French compliment, itself a borrowing of Italian complimento, which in turn is a borrowing from Spanish cumplimiento, from cumplir (“to comply, complete, do what is proper”) + -miento or Latin complēmentum. Doublet of complement. Displaced Old English ġeswǣsnes.

compliment · verb2

  1. French · borrowed fromcomplimenter
  2. English todaycompliment

Borrowed from French complimenter, from compliment + -er (verb-forming suffix).

Words from the same roots

Latincomplēmentum all →

complement

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.