"I" Word Origins

invigorate

Origin

First attested in 1646; borrowed from New Latin invigōrātus, perfect passive participle of invigōrō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). By surface analysis, in- + vigor + -ate.

invincible

Latin

From Latin invincibilis, "unconquerable" (in-, "not," + vincibilis, "able to be conquered," from vincere, "to conquer").

inviolable

Origin

From Middle French inviolable, from Latin inviolābilis (“untouchable”), from violō (“violate”). Equivalent to in- + violable. Piecewise doublet of unviolable.

invisibility

Middle French

From Middle French invisibilité, from Latin invisibilitas.

invisible

Late Latin

From Old French invisible, from Late Latin invisibilis, literally "not able to be seen" (in-, "not," + visibilis, "visible").

invitation

Latin

From Latin invitatio, from invitare, "to invite."

invitational

Origin

From invitation + -al.

invite

Latin

From Latin invitare, "to invite or entertain as a guest."

invocate

Origin

First attested in 1530; borrowed from Latin invocātus, perfect passive participle of invocō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of invoke.

invocation

Origin

From Middle English invocacioun, from Old French invocacion, from Latin invocatio, invocationem. Equivalent to invoke + -ation.

invocational

Origin

From invocation + -al.

invocatory

Origin

Borrowed from Latin invocō (“I invoke”) + -ory. Compare French invocatoire.

invoice

Middle French

From Middle French envois, the plural of envoi, "something sent" (from envoyer, "to send") — the same root as "envoy."

invoke

Latin

From Latin invocare, "to call upon" (in- + vocare, "to call").

involuntarily

Origin

From involuntary + -ly or in- + voluntarily.

involuntary

Late Latin

From Late Latin involuntarius, from in- ("not") + voluntarius ("voluntary").

involute

Origin

Borrowed from Latin involutus.

involution

Origin

From Latin involūtiō, from involvō.

involve

Latin

From Latin involvere, "to roll into, wrap up, or envelop" (in- + volvere, "to roll").

involved

Origin

From involve + -ed.

invulnerability

Origin

From French invulnérabilité.

invulnerable

Latin

From Latin invulnerabilis, "unable to be wounded" (in-, "not," + vulnerare, "to wound," from vulnus, "wound").

inward

Middle English

From Middle English inward, from Old English inweard, corresponding to in + -ward.

inwardness

Origin

From Middle English inwardnesse; analysable as inward + -ness.

inwomb

Origin

From in- + womb.

inwork

Origin

From Middle English *inwork, *inwerk, from Old English inweorc (“indoor work”), from Proto-West Germanic *inwerk, equivalent to in- + work. Cognate with Scots inwark, inwork (“domestic work, indoor work”).

inwrought

Origin

From past participle of inwork.

io

Greek

From the Greek mythological figure Io, a mortal woman loved by Zeus and transformed into a heifer.

iodate

Origin

From iodic acid + -ate.

iodine

Ancient Greek · 1814

From French iode, from Ancient Greek ioeidēs, "violet-coloured," describing the purple vapour the element gives off when heated. Named by the chemist Humphry Davy in 1814.

iodous

Origin

From iodo- + -ous.

ion

Greek · 1834

Coined in 1834 from Greek ion, "going," the present participle of eimi ("I go") — chosen because ions move toward oppositely charged electrodes.

Iona

Latin

Probably a misreading of Latin Ioua, an attempt to Latinize Old Irish Í.

ionic

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek ἰωνικός (iōnikós, “related to Ionians”).

Ions

Origin

From a Northumberland variant of John + the patronymic suffix -s.

iota

Greek

From Greek iota, the name of the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet — used figuratively for centuries to mean "the tiniest amount," echoing a line from the New Testament about not changing "one iota" of the law.

IOU

Origin · 1600

From the pronunciation of the phrase "I owe you," first recorded in this shorthand form in the early 17th century.

Iowa

French

From French Aiouez, an early spelling of the tribal name, itself borrowed from a Dakota word meaning roughly "the sleepy ones."

Ip

Origin

Initialisms (see definitions).

IP address

English

An initialism of internet protocol address, from the internet protocol, the set of rules that governs how data is addressed and routed between networked devices.

iPad

Origin

From the "i-" prefix Apple uses across its product line (iPod, iPhone) plus "pad," evoking a flat writing tablet.

iPhone

Origin

Built from Apple's "i-" branding prefix plus "phone."

iPod

Origin · 2001

Coined by Apple from "i-" plus "pod," suggesting a small pod for storing music — reportedly inspired by a line from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Ipswich

Origin

From the Old English personal name Gip, genitive case Gipes + Old English wīċ (“port, bay”).

Iqbal

Arabic

From Arabic إِقْبَال (ʔiqbāl).

Ira

Origin

From a Hebrew name עִירָא ('ira), from a word meaning "watchful".

Iran

Persian

From Persian ایران (Irān), ultimately meaning "land of the Aryans," referring to the ancient Iranian peoples.

Iranian

Origin

Formed from Iran plus the suffix "-ian."