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compound

a walled or fenced area enclosing a group of buildings

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Where does the word "compound" come from? It comes from Malay kampung, and was adopted directly into English (1600s-1700s).

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Where does the word "compound" come from? It comes from Malay kampung, and was adopted directly into English (1600s-1700s).

Compound’s story begins in Malay: kampung meant “a village, enclosure.” Meaning "a village" or "enclosure". It reached English by 1600s-1700s as compound. First recorded in 1679 in the records of the East India Company's Fort St George at Madras; probably Malay 'kampung', picked up at the Company's trading posts and reshaped by association with English 'compound'. Today, compound means a walled or fenced area enclosing a group of buildings.

  1. Stage 1 · Malay · medieval kampung "a village, enclosure", meaning "a village" or "enclosure".
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s-1700s compound "a walled or fenced group of buildings", first recorded in 1679 in the records of the East India Company's Fort St George at Madras; probably Malay 'kampung', picked up at the Company's trading posts and reshaped by association with English 'compound'.

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