companion

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A person or animal you spend a lot of time with, often a friend or partner.

   His dog has been his faithful companion for the last five years.

2. 2
   noun

   A person who is paid to live with or look after someone, especially an elderly person.

   They hired a companion to keep her grandmother company during the day.

3. 3
   noun

   A book or other resource designed to be used alongside a main work.

   The companion guide gives an in-depth analysis of the novel.

4. 4
   verb

   To go along with someone as a companion; to accompany.

   A young guide companioned us through the old city.

From Middle English companion, from Old French compaignon (“companion”) (modern French compagnon), from Late Latin compāniōn- (nominative singular compāniō, whence French copain), from com- + pānis (literally, with + bread), a word first attested in the Frankish Lex Salica as a calque of a Germanic word, probably Frankish *galaibo, *gahlaibō (“messmate”, literally “with-bread”), from Proto-Germanic *gahlaibô. Compare also Old High German galeipo (“messmate”) and Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌱𐌰 (gahlaiba, “messmate”); and, for the semantics, compare Old Armenian ընկեր (ənker, “friend”, literally “messmate”). M…

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