Companion

google

ref

Middle English: from Old French compaignon, literally ‘one who breaks bread with another’, based on Latin com- ‘together with’ + panis ‘bread’.

wiktionary

ref

From Middle English companion, from Old French compaignon(“companion”) (modern French compagnon), from Late Latincompāniōn- (nominative singular compāniō, whence French copain), from com- +‎ pānis (literally, with + bread), a word first attested in the Frankish Lex Salica as a calque of a Germanic word, probably Frankish *galaibo, *gahlaibō(“messmate”, literally “with-bread”), from Proto-Germanic *gahlaibô. Compare also Old High German galeipo(“messmate”) and Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌱𐌰( gahlaiba, “messmate”); and, for the semantics, compare Old Armenian ընկեր(ənker, “friend”, literally “messmate”). More at co-, loaf. Displaced native Old English ġefēra.

etymonline

ref

companion (n.)

c. 1300, "one who accompanies or associates with another," from Old French compagnon "fellow, mate, friend, partner" (12c.), from Late Latin companionem (nominative companio), literally "bread fellow, messmate," from Latin com "with, together" (see com-) + panis "bread," from PIE root *pa- "to feed."

The Late Latin word is found first in the 6c. Frankish Lex Salica, and probably it is a translation of some Germanic word (compare Gothic gahlaiba "messmate," from hlaib "loaf of bread"). It replaced Old English gefera "traveling companion," from faran "go, fare."

The meaning "A person who lives with another in need of society, and who, though receiving remuneration, is treated rather as a friend and equal than as an inferior or servant" [OED] is from 1766.