quote:

co-, prefix

of Latin origin.

In Latin the preposition com- (which as a separate word was written in classical L. cum) was shortened to co- before vowels and h, also before gn-, e.g. coalescere, coerc{emac}re, coortus cohær{emac}re, cogn{amac}tus. Partly from the greater syllabic distinctness of this form of the prefix, arising out of the natural break between it and the following vowel, whereby also, on the break-down of the older quantitative system, the o became a long vowel, partly from the readiness with which some compounds of this type, as co-æqu{amac}lis, co-adj{umac}tor, co-episcopus, co-hæres, co-oper{amac}tor, co-opt{amac}re, were analysed into their elements, co[/o]- has come in English to be a living formative, the use of which is no longer restricted to words beginning with a vowel, but extended to all words of analogous kinds, including native English or other words, as well as those from Latin. The general sense is ‘together’, ‘in company’, ‘in common’, ‘joint, -ly’, ‘equal, -ly’, ‘reciprocally’, ‘mutually’. It combines (like L. [i]com-, con-, co-) with verbs, adjs., adverbs, and ns. It is sometimes prefixed to words of L. origin which are already compounded with com- (con-), as co-connexion, -conspirator, -constituent.
It occurs also as a variant form of words of L. origin or type, where the regular form is com-, con-, cor-: e.g. co-centric, co-natural, co-numerary, {dag}co-partment, co-relation, co-rival, co-temporary, co-terminous, and other occasional instances: cf. also co-citizen, co-join, co-mingle, with concitizen, conjoin, commingle, etc.
All the more important of these compounds appear in their alphabetical order as Main words: there follow here examples of compounds of rare occurrence and obvious meaning, or in which the combination is but for the nonce. It is notable how many of these are solely due to Bishop Ken.

1. Verbs.
Of a joint subject: as, co-engage to engage along with others, co-sustain to sustain jointly. Of a joint object: as, co-admit to admit (two or more things) equally, co-annex to annex (things) along with others. So
co-abound, {dag}-absume, -admire, -admit, -agonize, -animate, -annex, -annihilate, -apprehend, -ascend, -attend, -augment, -bewail, -bless, -breathe, -crucify, -decree, -delight, -derive, -die, -elevate, -embody, -employ, -enact, -endear, -enflame, -engage, -enjoy, -exert, -expire, -glorify, -harmonize, -hymn, -implore, -include, -infer, -inspire, -inter, -inthrone, -love, -oblige, -produce, -quicken, -raise, -rebel, -rejoice, -resign, -resort, -seat, -spire, -suffer, -sustain, -torment, -torture, -transfuse, -transpire, -transubstantiate, -twist, -vibrate, -worship.

2. Adjs. (often participial), and advbs.
Thus co-embedded embedded together, co-harmonious unitedly harmonious, co-intersecting intersecting mutually; thence adverbs, as co-harmoniously:
co-ambulant, -amiable, -apostate, -ardent, -boundless, -divine, -effluent, -effluential, -elongated, -embedded, -endearing, -enflaming, -featured, -foreknown, -glorious, -gracious, -harmonious (and -ly), -hellish, -immense, -incorporate, -intersecting, {dag}-like, -lovely, -mournful, -neighbouring, -omniscient, -penetrating, -pleased, -reflexed, -sounding, -transforate, -universal.

3. Substantives.
a. Of action, state, etc. co-abode, -administration, -admiration, -advice, -aid, -audience joint-hearing, {dag}-benignity, -connexion mutual connexion, {dag}-delight, -denization, -domestication, -emanation, {dag}-enamourment, -exertion, -explosion, {dag}-heartedness communion or unity of hearts, -indwelling, -infeftment, -interest, -life, -perception, -principate, {dag}-respect, -splendour, -tenure, -understanding, -use.

b. Agent-nouns (and derivatives of function, adjectives used substantively), etc. co-actor, -agriculturist, -aid, -ambassador, -apostate, -approver, -asserter, -believer, -burgess, -burgher(-ship), -churchwarden, -conspirator, -descendant, -despairer, -discoverer, -editor (-ship), -elder (-ship), -emperor, -enactor, -engager, -faster, -father (-ship), {dag}-fere, -fisher, -herald, -husband, -inmate, -inventor, -islander, -judge, -justiciar, -king, -legislator, -magistracy, -mourner, -murmurer, -nominee, -non-intelligent, -parallel, -parent, -patentee, -presbyter, -promoter, -rebel, -rival, -saviour, -settler, -species, -sufferer, -traitor, -translator, -tripper, -tutor, -twin, -villager, -votary.

c. Esp. common in the phraseology of Law, with the sense of ‘joint’ or ‘fellow-’, as CO-HEIR, CO-EXECUTOR, CO-DEFENDANT, etc.; also [/i][/b]co-acceptor, -assignee, -auditor, -contractor, -covenantor, -creditor, -debtor, -delinquent (-ency), -guarantor, -infeftment, -legatee, -lessee, -lessor, -mortgagee, -petitioner, -plaintiff, -projector, -promisor, -promoter, -purchaser, -sharer, -surety, -trustee.[/b][/i]

4. Math. (short for complement). Used in the sense ‘...of the complement’, or ‘complement of ...’: see COSINE, COTANGENT, COSECANT, CO-ALTITUDE, CO-DECLINATION, CO-LATITUDE.

quote:

Originally posted by tinman:
My comments were not meant to be criticisms of any kind, merely comments. I found your original post interesting because the word appeared to me to be derived from Latin, and I couldn't understand. Your second post did make clear your objections, and I then understood. I posted the nonce co- words because I found them interesting. The co- seemed unnecessary or even redundant in many cases, and often just plain silly.