Etymology

From the Old French compaignon, from Late Latin compāniō ‎(literally “he with whom one shares one's bread”) (compare Italian compagnone, Spanish compañón), from com- + pānis (with + bread), first attested in the Frankish Lex Salica as a calque of a Germanic word represented by Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌱𐌰 ‎(gahlaiba, “messmate”) from 𐌲𐌰- ‎(ga-, “with”) + 𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌱𐌰 ‎(hlaiba, “bread”), Old High German galeipo from ga- ‎(“with”) + leipo ‎(“bread”). Compare with the etymologically related terms copain and compagnie. More at co-, loaf.

Pronunciation