Does "commit " always imply a negative moral judgement?

Question

The word "commit" has a couple of uses: "to commit (oneself) to X", or "to commit X". The former seems to generally imply commitment to doing something good, while the latter seems to generally be negative.
Examples:

commit a crime
commit murder
commit suicide*
commit a felony
commit treason

Is there any case, contemporary or archaic, where this structure is used without negative connotations? Why, historically, did this pattern develop?
*This example is somewhat anomalous, since in modern usage, though negative, it may not imply a moral judgment.

user 66974 · Answer

The usage of commit in reference to negative, reprehensible actions is derived from the Latin usage of “committere” from which the English commit is derived:

The evolution of the modern range of meanings in English is not entirely clear. Sense of "to perpetrate (a crime), do, perform (especially something reprehensible)" was ancient in Latin; in English it is attested from mid-15c.  Meaning "consign (someone) to custody (of prison, a mental institution, etc.) by official warrant" is from early 15c.

(Etymonline)

Note that the same usage with reference to negative actions is common also in other languages like French commetre, Spanish cometer and Italian commettere given their common etymology.

RaceYouAnytime · Answer

The OED does apply an entire branch (II) of the word commit to "perpetrating" something negative.

To do something wrong; to perpetrate.

This branch seems to encapsulate most of the common examples cited here where the term carries a moral judgment, such as commit suicide or commit a felony.

In its etymology notes, the OED explains the development of this branch:

In classical Latin the expression committere legiones ‘to commit troops’ gave rise to committere pugnam ‘to join battle‘, and from this developed the sense ‘to begin, undertake’ which in turn acquired a pejorative sense ‘to perpetrate’ (compare Branch II.).

This pejorative sense dominates uses of the word in this structure to commit [action], even to the extent that it can sometimes distort other senses that are inherently non-pejorative.  An example is the once common phrase commit matrimony, meaning to get married.

The OED provides a phrasal definition with numerous citations for "commit matrimony," though, amusingly, some of the citations acknowledge the latent pejorative sense:

‘You shouldn't say this young couple “committed” matrimony.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘It isn't good taste. You talk as if they had done something wrong.’ [emphasis added]

1903   Ohio Law Bulletin 25 May 216/2

user421398 · Answer

As well as matrimony and kindness, acts of bravery are committed.
See http://dariuszgalasinski.com/2018/06/30/silencing-suicide/ for discussion of the positive and negative uses of the word "commit".

Does "commit " always imply a negative moral judgement?

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