"accomplice, companion," 1850, a dialectal shortening of pardner, pardener (1795), which represents a common pronunciation of partner (n.).
common literary dialect of Greek in the Roman and early medieval period, 1903, from feminine singular of Greek koinos "common, ordinary" (see coeno-). Used earlier as a Greek word in English. From 1926 of other dialects in similar general use.
[Isocrates] helped to lay the foundations for that invaluable vehicle of civilization, the Koinê Dialektos, through which, at the price of becoming easy, flat, common, and a little soulless, the Greek language in the Hellenistic period evangelized the whole Mediterranean world. [Gilbert Murray, "Greek Studies," 1946]
fem. proper name, the native form of Latin Christiana, fem. of Christianus (see Christian). In the Middle Ages, the masculine form of the name (Cristian) was less popular in England than the feminine, though Christian was common in Brittany. Surnames Christie, Chrystal, etc. represent common Northern and Scottish pet forms of the names.
1847, in reference to ancient Rome, "tribe, clan, house (of families having a name and certain religious rites in common and a presumed common origin)," from Latin gens (genitive gentis) "race, clan, nation" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups).
1952, originally a proprietary name, from tele- + conference. Not in common use until c. 1974.
"not of equal measure; not having a common measure," 1640s, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + commensurate.
1620s, alternative spelling of dexterous; this version is more conformable to Latin but less common in English.
