Comptroller
Why the ‘p’ in comptroller? What’s the difference between a comptroller and a controller?
Both words come from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root roto, reth (to run, to roll). Think of a ‘roto’-tiller. From this PIE root comes Latin rota (wheel; and ‘rotate’) and contrarotulus (contra = against + rotulus = the roll; that is, a ‘roll call’ or ‘calling the roll’ or checking the reality against a list; e.g., “Marcellus?” “Present, sir.” Or, “Javelins?” “Check.”). A contrarotulus was a register or account book; literally a ‘rolled up’ scroll or document.
From this Latin source comes Old French contreroller (controller; to exert authority) and later French contrerole (control) and compte (an account). Okay, so how did the ‘p’ sneak in there, you might ask? It’s from Latin computare (to count) from which comes, as you might expect, the word compute. French contreroller was a medieval method of checking accounts by comparing them to a duplicate register.
By the late 14th century, the word controller (originally countrollen, meaning to check the accuracy of, to verify, to regulate) came to English from Old French contreroller and Anglo-French contrerolleour. A controller was the official in charge of the accounts in a king’s household. By the early 15th century, controller also referred to an officer who examined and managed the finances of a corporation or institution. Countrollen and controller are sources of the word control.
At this time, the word comptroller appears. Why? Some sources suggest a spelling error due to a confusion between the earlier words for ‘control’ and ‘compute’. Perhaps spelling wasn’t checked as rigorously as the financial accounts.
For the last one hundred years, various authorities have tried to eliminate the word comptroller in favor of controller but with no luck. Many organizations and institutions today still have a comptroller. Generally speaking, there is little difference between the work of a comptroller and the work of a controller.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
Both words come from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root roto, reth (to run, to roll). Think of a ‘roto’-tiller. From this PIE root comes Latin rota (wheel; and ‘rotate’) and contrarotulus (contra = against + rotulus = the roll; that is, a ‘roll call’ or ‘calling the roll’ or checking the reality against a list; e.g., “Marcellus?” “Present, sir.” Or, “Javelins?” “Check.”). A contrarotulus was a register or account book; literally a ‘rolled up’ scroll or document.
From this Latin source comes Old French contreroller (controller; to exert authority) and later French contrerole (control) and compte (an account). Okay, so how did the ‘p’ sneak in there, you might ask? It’s from Latin computare (to count) from which comes, as you might expect, the word compute. French contreroller was a medieval method of checking accounts by comparing them to a duplicate register.
By the late 14th century, the word controller (originally countrollen, meaning to check the accuracy of, to verify, to regulate) came to English from Old French contreroller and Anglo-French contrerolleour. A controller was the official in charge of the accounts in a king’s household. By the early 15th century, controller also referred to an officer who examined and managed the finances of a corporation or institution. Countrollen and controller are sources of the word control.
At this time, the word comptroller appears. Why? Some sources suggest a spelling error due to a confusion between the earlier words for ‘control’ and ‘compute’. Perhaps spelling wasn’t checked as rigorously as the financial accounts.
For the last one hundred years, various authorities have tried to eliminate the word comptroller in favor of controller but with no luck. Many organizations and institutions today still have a comptroller. Generally speaking, there is little difference between the work of a comptroller and the work of a controller.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
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