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Origin and history of compound

compound(v.)

late 14c., compounen, "to put together, to mix, to combine; to join, couple together," from Old French compondre, componre "arrange, direct," and directly from Latin componere "to put together," from com "with, together" (see com-) + ponere "to place" (see position (n.)).

The unetymological -d appeared 1500s in English, earlier in French, probably by the same process that yielded expound, propound, etc. In this case perhaps also by influence of compound (adj.), which was the old verb's past-participle, compouned, used as an adjective by c. 1400 and often short for compound substance, etc. Compare astound. The intransitive sense is attested by 1727. Related: Compounded; compounding.

also from late 14c.

compound(n.1)

"enclosed residence," 1670s, "the enclosure for a factory or settlement of Europeans in the East," via Dutch (kampoeng) or Portuguese, from Malay (Austronesian) kampong "village, group of buildings." Spelling influenced by compound (v.). Later used of South African diamond miners' camps (1893), then of large fenced-in residences generally (1946).

also from 1670s

compound(adj.)

late 14c., originally compouned, "composed of two or more elements, mixed, blended," past participle of compounen (see compound (v.)). Of flowers from 1660s; compound eye is attested from 1836; compound sentence, one consisting of two or more full clauses, is from 1772.

also from late 14c.

compound(n.2)

"a compound thing, something produced by the combination of two or more ingredients," mid-15c., from compound (adj.). Specifically as "a compound word" by c. 1500.

A language which, like the English, is almost without cases, is indeed in its very genius unfitted for compounds. [Coleridge, "Biographia Literaria"]

also from mid-15c.

Entries linking to compound

astound(v.)

mid-15c., from Middle English astouned, astoned (c. 1300), past participle of astonen, astonien "to stun" (see astonish), with more of the original sense of Vulgar Latin *extonare. The unusual form is perhaps because the past participle was so much more common that it came to be taken for the infinitive, or/and by the same pattern which produced round (v.) from round (adj.), or by the intrusion of an unetymological -d as in sound (n.1). Related: Astounded; astounding.

expound(v.)

mid-14c., expounen, expounden, "to explain or comment on, to reveal the meaning" (of Scripture, etc.), from Old French espondre "expound (on), set forth, explain," from Latin exponere "put forth, expose, exhibit; set on shore, disembark; offer, leave exposed, reveal, publish," from ex "forth" (see ex-) + ponere "to put, place" (see position (n.)); with unetymological -d developing in French (compare sound (n.1)). The usual Middle English form was expoune. General (non-theological) sense of "set forth, reveal, describe or tell" is from late 14c. Related: Expounded; expounding.