comprehend
/ˌkɒmprɪˈhend/
verb
Origin
Latin
comprehendere — to seize, grasp, or include
Overview
Meaning Now
- To grasp mentally; to understand or perceive the nature or significance of.
- To include or contain within a scope or range.
Literal older meaning
to seize together or contain
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
comprehenden
Earliest period
late 14th century
Journey
The word entered English via Middle French during the 14th century. The sense of 'mental understanding' evolved from the more concrete physical sense of 'seizing or grasping' objects, a metaphorical shift common in Indo-European languages regarding cognitive processes.
Evolution
- Latin
comprehendere
“to grasp, seize, comprise”
From com- (together) + prehendere (to grasp)
- Middle French
comprendre
“to include or understand”
- Late Middle English
comprehenden
“to include, contain, or grasp”
Adopted from Old French and Latin
Connections
Word parts
com-
prefix
together
prehendere
root
to grasp or seize
Related across languages
French
comprendre
to understand or include
Spanish
comprender
to understand or include
Explore next
Related to comprehend
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.