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Origin and history of compose

compose(v.)

c. 1400, compousen, "to write" (a book), from Old French composer "put together, compound; adjust, arrange; write" a work (12c.), from com- "with, together" (see com-) + poser "to place," from Late Latin pausare "to cease, lay down" (see pause (n.)).

Meaning influenced in Old French by componere "to arrange, direct" (see composite; also see compound (v.), pose (v.)), which gradually was replaced in French by composer. Similar confusion is found in expose, oppose, repose (v.2), transpose, etc.

Meaning "to make or form by uniting two or more things" is from late 15c. Sense of "be the substance or elements of, make up" is from 1540s. Sense of "invent and put (music) into proper form" is from 1590s. From c. 1600 as "bring into a composed state, to cal, quiet;" from 1650s as "place (parts or elements) in proper form, arrange."

In painting, "combine into an arrangement with artistic effect" (1782). In printing, "put into type" (1630s), but the usual term among printers was set. Related: Composed; composing. The printers' composing room is from 1737.

also from c. 1400

Entries linking to compose

composed(adj.)

"calm, tranquil, free from disturbance or agitation," c. 1600, past-participle adjective from compose (v.). Earlier (1560s) "made up of parts." Related: Composedly; composedness.

composite(adj.)

"made up of distinct parts or elements," c. 1400, from Old French composite, from Latin compositus "placed together," past participle of componere "to put together, to collect a whole from several parts," from com "with, together" (see com-) + ponere "to place" (past participle positus; see position (n.)).

The noun, "something made up of two or more different parts or elements," is attested from late 14c. in reference to numbers. Composite number "number that can be measured exactly by a number more than one" is from 1730 (in Middle English, with French word-order, nombrys composyt, c. 1400). A composite photograph (1884) is one printed from more than one negative.

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compound
late 14c., compounen, "to put together, to mix, to combine; to join, couple together," from Old French compondre, componre "arrange, direct," and directly from Latin componere "to put together," from com "with, together" (see com-) + ponere "to place" (see position (n.)). The une
expose
early 15c., "to leave without shelter or defense," from Old French esposer, exposer "lay open, set forth, speak one's mind, explain" (13c.), from Latin exponere "set forth, lay open, exhibit, reveal, publish," from ex "from, forth" (see ex-) + ponere "to put, place" (see position
oppose
late 14c., opposen, "to speak or act against; accuse, question, interrogate," from Old French oposer "oppose, resist, rival; contradict, state opposing point of view" (12c.), apparently from assimilated form of Latin ob- "in the direction of, in front of" (see ob-) + French poser
dight
Middle English dighten, "to adorn," from Old English dihtan "dictate, appoint, ordain; guide; compose, set in order," an...The Latin word was borrowed earlier into continental Germanic, where it became Old High German dihton "to write compose,"...
indict
"accuse, indict, find chargeable with a criminal offense" (late 13c.), Old French enditier, enditer "to dictate, write, compose... Later 14c. non-legal senses "write, compose (a poem, etc.); dictate" have gone with the older form, endite, indite...
sermonize
also sermonise, 1630s, "compose or deliver a sermon; preach, especially in a dogmatic or didactic style," from Medieval Latin...
conflation
Latin conflationem (nominative conflatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin conflare "bring together, compose...
arrange
late 14c., arengen, "draw up a line of battle," from Old French arengier "put in a row, put in battle order" (12c., Modern French arranger), from a- "to" (see ad-) + rangier "set in a row" (Modern French ranger), from rang "rank," from Frankish *hring or a similar Germanic source
harmonize
late 15c., "play or sing in harmony," from French harmoniser (15c.), from Old French harmonie (see harmony). Meaning "be in harmony (with), go well together" is from 1620s. Transitive sense "bring into harmony" is from 1700; figurative sense "bring into agreement" is from 1767. M
script
late 14c., "something written, a written document," earlier scrite (c. 1300), from Anglo-French scrit, Old French escrit "piece of writing, written paper; credit note, IOU; deed, bond" (Modern French écrit) and directly from Latin scriptum "a writing, book; law; line, mark," noun

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