"I" Word Origins

intelligible

Origin

From Middle French intelligible, from Old French, from Latin intelligibilis.

intemperance

Origin

From Middle French intempérance, from Latin intemperantia.

intempestive

Origin

From Latin intempestīvus, from in- + tempestīvus (“seasonable”).

intend

Latin

From Old French entendre, from Latin intendere, "to stretch toward, direct one's attention" (in-, "toward" + tendere, "to stretch").

intendant

French

From French intendant, "one who has charge of, superintends."

intense

Latin

From Latin intensus, "stretched tight, strained," from intendere, "to stretch out."

intensen

Origin

From intense + -en.

intensification

Origin

From intense + -ification.

intensify

Origin

From "intense" + the verb-forming suffix "-ify," meaning "to make."

intensity

Origin

From "intense" + the noun-forming suffix "-ity."

intensive

Latin

From Old French intensif, based on Latin intensus, "stretched, intense."

intent

Latin

From Old French entent, ultimately from Latin intentus, "stretched, strained, attentive."

intention

Latin

From Latin intentio, "a stretching, straining, or aiming," from intendere, "to stretch toward."

intentional

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin intentionalis, built from "intention" + the adjective suffix "-al."

inter

Vulgar Latin

From Old French enterrer, from Vulgar Latin interrare, "to put into the earth."

interact

Origin

Formed from "inter-" ("between, among") + "act."

interaction

Medieval Latin

Borrowed from Medieval Latin interactio, built from "inter-" + "action."

intercalation

Origin

From Latin intercalō, from inter (“among”) + calō (“call out, proclaim”).

intercede

Latin

From Latin intercedere, "to go between," from inter- ("between") + cedere ("to go").

intercedent

Origin

Probably by way of French intercedent (adjective), which seems to be more commonly attested than this English adjective. Ultimately from Latin intercedens, present participle of intercedere, and possibly borrowed twice by English, with the later borrowing being a learned borrowing.

intercept

Latin

From Latin interceptum, past participle of intercipere, "to take between" (inter-, "between" + capere, "to take, seize").

interception

Latin

Borrowed from Latin interceptio, based on intercipere, "to take between."

intercession

Origin

First attested in the early 15th Century. From Middle French intercession, from Old French intercession, from Latin intercessiō, from intercēdō, from inter- (“between”) + cēdō (“to go”) (English cede), literally “go-between”.

intercessor

Origin

Late 15th century, from Latin intercessor, from Latin intercēdō, from inter (“between”) + cēdō (“to go”) (English cede), literally “go-between”.

intercessory

Origin

From intercession + -ory.

interchange

Old French

From Old French entrechange, formed from "inter-" ("between") + "change."

interchangeable

Origin

From interchange plus the suffix -able ("capable of").

intercom

Origin

A shortened form of "intercommunicator."

interconnected

Origin

From inter- ("between") plus connected.

intercontinental

Origin

From inter- ("between") plus continental.

intercourse

Late Latin

From Old French entrecours, from Late Latin intercursus, literally "a running between."

interdict

Origin

From Middle English entrediten, from Old French entredire (“forbid”), from Latin interdīcō (“prohibit, forbid”), from inter- (“between”) + dīcō (“say”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ-.

interdiction

Origin

From Middle English, borrowed from French interdiction, itself a borrowing from Latin interdictiō.

interdimensional

Origin

From inter- ("between") plus dimensional.

interest

Latin

From Old French interesse, from Latin interesse, literally "to be between, to matter."

interesting

Origin

From interest + -ing.

interface

Origin

From inter- ("between") plus face ("shape, form").

interfaith

Origin

From inter- + faith.

interfere

Old French

From Old French entreferir, from entre- ("between") plus ferir ("to strike").

interference

Origin · 1801

From interfere plus the suffix -ence; the physics sense was popularized by the scientist Thomas Young around 1801.

intergalactic

Origin

From inter- ("between") plus galactic.

interim

Latin

Borrowed directly from Latin interim, meaning "meanwhile."

interior

Latin

From Latin interior, meaning "inner."

interject

Latin

From Latin interiectus, the past participle of intericere, "to place between."

interjection

Origin

From Middle English interjeccioun, from Old French interjection (13th century), from Latin interiectiōnem, accusative singular of interiectiō (“throwing or placing between; interjection”), perfect passive participle of intericiō (“throw or place between”), from inter (“between”) + iaciō (“throw”). Displaced Old English betwēoxāworpennes (literally “between-thrown-out-ness”), a calque of the Latin.

interlace

Origin

From Middle English entrelacen, from Anglo-Norman entrelacer, from Old French inter- + lacer (“weave”).

interlock

Origin

From inter- ("between") plus lock.

interlope

Origin

Early 17th century, likely back-formation from interloper. Alternatively, directly formed as inter- + lope (“leap, jump”) – literally “to jump in”.