Word Origin & History
comeO.E. cuman "come" (class IV strong verb; past tense cuom, com, pp. cumen), from P.Gmc. *kwem-, from PIE base *gwem- "to go, come" (cf. Skt. gamati "he goes," Avestan jamaiti "goes," Tocharian kakmu "come," Lith. gemu "to be born," Gk. bainein "to go, walk, step," L. venire "to come"). Substitution of
-o- for -u- is scribal change before minims, cf. monk, some, worm, orig. munuc, sum, wyrm. Past tense form is probably from O.N. kvam, replacing O.E. cuom. Amazingly productive with prepositions (NTC's "Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs" lists 198 combinations); consider the varied senses in come to "regain consciousness," come over "possess" (as an emotion), come at "attack," and come off "occur." For slang sexual senses, see
cum.