conjunction
/kənˈdʒʌŋkʃən/
noun
Origin
Latin
coniunctio — union, connection, joining
Overview
Meaning Now
- A word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause.
- The action or an instance of two or more events or things occurring at the same point in time or space.
- The alignment of two celestial bodies as seen from Earth.
Literal older meaning
a joining together
Language path
Latin → Middle English → English
Earliest form
conjunccioun
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term originated in Latin grammar to describe 'coniunctiones'—words that link parts of speech. It was later adopted into Middle English through French, retaining both its grammatical usage and its general meaning of physical or temporal alignment.
Evolution
- Latin
coniunctio
“union, connection”
Derived from the verb coniungere
- Old French
conjonction
“union, joining”
Adapted from Latin
- Middle English
conjunccioun
“a joining, a word that connects”
Direct borrowing from Old French
- Modern English
conjunction
“grammatical connector, alignment”
Standardized spelling
Connections
Word parts
con-
prefix
together, with
junct-
root
join, yoke
-ion
suffix
state, condition, or action
Related across languages
French
conjonction
conjunction, alignment
Spanish
conjunción
conjunction, union
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Related to conjunction
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.