commence

The word 'commence' entered English in the Middle English period from the Old French 'comencer', which itself derived from the Vulgar Latin 'cominitiare'. This Latin form is a compound of the intensive prefix 'com-' and the verb 'initiare', meaning 'to begin'. The core notion is of an intensive beginning, a formal or significant initiation into an action. Over time, the sense of formality softened, and it became a more general synonym for 'begin', though it often retains a slightly more formal tone than its simpler counterpart.

Structure: com + mence - com: Latin origin, a prefix meaning 'together', 'with', or 'intensively'. It functions as an intensifier in this word. - mence: Latin origin, from the root 'initiare' meaning 'to begin'. It functions as the core verbal root.