complicated

Where does the word "complicated" come from? It comes from Latin complicāre, passing through English before entering English (1650s).

Complicated’s story begins in Latin: complicāre meant “to fold together.” To fold together, from 'com-', together, and 'plicāre', to fold, the root of 'ply' and 'pliers'. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in English as complicate. First meant to combine or entangle. It reached English by 1650s as complicated. Its adjective form dates from the 1650s. Today, complicated means made of many interconnected parts; hard to understand.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient complicāre "to fold together", to fold together, from 'com-', together, and 'plicāre', to fold, the root of 'ply' and 'pliers'.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s complicate "to entangle", first meant to combine or entangle.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1650s complicated "intricate", its adjective form dates from the 1650s.