cooperate

Where does the word "cooperate" come from? It comes from Latin opus, passing through Latin before entering English (1600s).

Cooperate’s story begins in Latin: opus meant “work.” Work, giving rise to operari (to work), combined with com- (together). Within Latin, it grew into cooperari by ancient. To work together, from com- and operari. It reached English by 1600s as cooperate. Settled as the English word for working jointly toward a common goal. Today, cooperate means to work jointly with others toward a shared goal.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient opus "work", work, giving rise to operari (to work), combined with com- (together).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient cooperari "to work together", to work together, from com- and operari.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s cooperate "to work jointly with others toward a common goal", settled as the English word for working jointly toward a common goal.