complain
/kəmpˈleɪn/kuhm-PLAYN
/kəmpˈleɪn/kuhm-PLAYN
Meaningto lament
Common meaning: to voice dissatisfaction
- comwith, together
- plainto beat the breast; to lamentLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1384 · scan
‘with, together’ + ‘to beat the breast’ → complain
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin plangō ‘to beat the breast; to lament’.
Roots
- plangō, planctum Latin “to beat the breast; to lament”
Related words
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