The English word 'communication' is derived from the words

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:
The English word 'communication' is deeply rooted in Latin, and its meaning is best understood by looking at its two parent words: *Communis* and *Communicare*. The word *Communis* is a Latin adjective meaning 'common' or 'belonging to all,' and conceptually signifies the state of shared understanding. The other word, *Communicare*, is a Latin verb that means 'to share,' 'to impart,' or 'to make common.' Therefore, the very foundation of communication is the process of establishing a *commonness* or *shared* meaning between a sender and a receiver. This etymological origin perfectly encapsulates the conceptual goal of all communication: to transmit a thought, idea, or message so effectively that the two parties end up with a shared understanding, moving from an individual thought to a *common* piece of shared knowledge. This concept highlights that effective communication is fundamentally an act of mutual participation and not just a one-way transmission.

The incorrect option is 2:
The option 'Communist and Commune' contains words that, while related to the concept of sharing, are too narrow and context-specific to be the general etymological source of the entire concept of *communication*. A *Commune* is a specific type of social organization, typically a group of people living together and sharing possessions and responsibilities; it is derived from the Latin root *Communis*, but it is a noun for a specific social structure, not one of the primary roots for the act of communicating. Similarly, *Communist* refers to an ideology or a follower of Communism, which is a modern political and economic system based on shared ownership. These terms are specialized political and social concepts that emerged much later in history as derivations of the Latin root, and were not the direct words from which the general English concept of *communication* was formed.

The incorrect option is 3:
'Communism and Communalism' are primarily political and social ideologies, not the historical linguistic foundation for the word *communication*. *Communism* is a political theory advocating a classless society in which all property is publicly owned and controlled. *Communalism*, in various contexts, refers either to a political system where local communities have high autonomy or, more commonly, to loyalty and commitment to one's own ethnic or religious group, often leading to conflict. While both of these terms carry the sense of 'sharing' or 'group belonging' inherent in the Latin *Communis*, they represent abstract, specialized, and often controversial philosophies. Therefore, to suggest that these specialized English political terms are the direct etymological source of the general act of *communication* is linguistically and historically inaccurate.

The incorrect option is 4:
The words 'Communion and Common Sense' are incorrect because they have distinct and separate meanings from the core concept of communication, despite sounding superficially similar. *Communion* does refer to the act of sharing thoughts and feelings, or a spiritual fellowship, and is indeed derived from the same Latin root *Communis*. However, *Common Sense* is an entirely different phrase altogether, referring to sound practical judgment that is usually shared by most people, which makes its inclusion here misleading. The word *Sense* is derived from the Latin *sensus*, meaning 'feeling' or 'meaning,' which has no direct etymological link to the Latin root for the transmission of messages. Therefore, this option incorrectly pairs a loosely related term with an entirely different concept, making it invalid as the original derivation for the English word 'communication.'