entry
company
/ˈkʌmpəni/People associated together; also a business organization
From Latin com- (with) + Latin panis (bread).
from Old French compagnie "society, friendship, intimacy; body of soldiers" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French compagnie "society, friendship, intimacy; body of soldiers" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom PIE root *pa- "to feed." Abbreviation co. dates
from Late Latin companio , literally "bread fellow, messmate,"
from Old French compagnie "society, friendship, intimacy; body of soldiers" (12c.)
from Latin com "with, together" (see com- ) + panis "bread,"
+1 more sourcefrom Latin com "with, together" (see com- ) + panis "bread,"
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Old French compagnie "society, friendship, intimacy; body of soldiers" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French compagnie "society, friendship, intimacy; body of soldiers" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom PIE root *pa- "to feed." Abbreviation co. dates
from Late Latin companio , literally "bread fellow, messmate,"
from Old French compagnie "society, friendship, intimacy; body of soldiers" (12c.)
from Latin com "with, together" (see com- ) + panis "bread,"
+1 more sourcefrom Latin com "with, together" (see com- ) + panis "bread,"
+1 more sourceBefore a company was something listed on a stock exchange, it was a group of people sharing a loaf. Late Latin companio meant a “bread fellow” or messmate: com- meant “with,” while panis meant “bread,” so companionship began with the wonderfully practical test of who sat beside you at dinner. The word traveled into Old French as compagnie and reached Middle English as companye, where it could mean a team, friendship, a military body, and even sexual union. By the 1550s, merchants had given it its familiar business sense, while soldiers preserved another branch of the idea in the company as an infantry unit. Its closest relative, companion, still carries the original human warmth: a company is, at heart, the people with whom you break bread.
The Story
Before a company was something listed on a stock exchange, it was a group of people sharing a loaf. Late Latin companio meant a “bread fellow” or messmate: com- meant “with,” while panis meant “bread,” so companionship began with the wonderfully practical test of who sat beside you at dinner. The word traveled into Old French as compagnie and reached Middle English as companye, where it could mean a team, friendship, a military body, and even sexual union. By the 1550s, merchants had given it its familiar business sense, while soldiers preserved another branch of the idea in the company as an infantry unit. Its closest relative, companion, still carries the original human warmth: a company is, at heart, the people with whom you break bread.
Modern Usage
A person or group visiting for intimate or social purposes; sometimes family or a romantic partner
Kin & Kindred
From 'com-'·with, together
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'panis'·bread
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia
Wiktionary