combinatio (Latin)

Where does "combinatio" come from?

The Latin noun 'combinatio' emerges from the combination of the verb 'combino' and the suffix '-tio'[1]. Attested in the context of a 'joining, two by two'[1], the underlying verb 'combino' itself originates from the Latin prefix 'con-' paired with 'bini'[2]. This term, which represents a Late or Post-Classical Latin formation[2], functions to describe the process of pairing or arranging items together.

Open questions

• The classification of the verb combino as Late or Post-Classical Latin rests on a specific temporal attribution. [2]

Full etymology tree

• combinatio (Latin), 'A joining, two by two'
  • derived combino (Latin), 'to combine, unite'
    • prefix con- (Latin), 'Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects'
    • derived bini (Latin), 'inflection of bīnus:'
  • suffix -tio (Latin), '-tion, -ation, -ing; suffixed to verbs to form action nouns denoting a process, action, or result of an action.'

Ancestors

• combino (Latin)
• -tio (Latin)

Descendants and derived words

• combination (English)
• combinació (Catalan)
• combinaison (French)
• combinación (Galician)
• Kombination (German)
• combinazione (Italian)
• combinação (Portuguese)
• combinație (Romanian)
• combinación (Spanish)

Sources

1. combinatio (Latin) - Wiktionary
2. combino (Latin) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris