commencement

the word 'commencement' entered english from old french 'comencement', which itself derived from the verb 'comencer', meaning 'to begin'. this old french term has its roots in the vulgar latin 'cominitiare', a compound of the latin intensive prefix 'com-' and 'initiare', meaning 'to initiate'. the suffix '-ment', of latin origin via french, is used to form nouns denoting an action or its result. thus, the literal construction 'the action of beginning' evolved in english to specifically denote the ceremony that marks the beginning of a graduate's new life phase, while retaining its general sense of a start.

Structure: commence (begin) + ment (noun suffix) commence (from old french 'comencer', ultimately from vulgar latin 'cominitiare', meaning 'to begin'); ment (a suffix of latin origin via old french, forming nouns indicating an action, process, or resulting state).