"I" Word Origins

imbecile

Latin

From Latin imbecillus, meaning "weak" — literally "without a supporting staff."

imbecility

Origin

From Middle English inbecillite, from Middle French imbecilité, imbecillité, and its etymon Classical Latin imbēcillitās. By surface analysis, imbecile + -ity.

imbibe

Latin

From Latin imbibere, formed from in- 'in' and bibere 'to drink'.

imbiber

Origin

From imbibe + -er.

imbrication

Origin

From French imbrication, from Latin imbricātus, from imbricō, from imbrex. By surface analysis, imbricate + -ion.

imbroglio

Origin

Borrowed from Italian imbroglio (“tangle, entanglement, muddle”) (im-, alternative form of in- (prefix forming verbs denoting derivation) + broglio (“confusion; intrigue, fraud, rigging, stuffing”); see also imbrogliare (“to tangle”)), cognate with and probably from an earlier form of French embrouiller (“to embroil, muddle”) (em- (“em-”), a form of en- (“en-”, prefix meaning ‘caused’) + brouiller (“to confuse, mix up”)). Doublet of embroil.

imbrued

Origin

From imbrue + -ed.

imbue

Latin

From Latin imbuere, meaning to soak, steep or stain.

imburse

Origin

From Medieval Latin imbursāre, Late Latin imbursāre, from Latin im- (variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside’ usually affixed to verbs)) + bursa (“animal skin, oxhide; purse (usually made of leather or skin); supply of money, funds”) (from Ancient Greek βῠ́ρσᾰ (bŭ́rsă, “animal skin; skin stripped off a hide”)); analysable as im- + burse. The word is cognate with Old French enborser (modern French embourser), Italian imborsare, Spanish embolsar (“to bag”).

Imelda

German

From Romance (Italian Imelda, Spanish Imelda), from German Irmhild.

imitate

Latin

From Latin imitari, meaning "to copy or portray."

imitation

Latin

From Old French imitacion, from Latin imitatio, built on the verb imitari, "to copy."

imitative

Origin

From Latin imitātīvus.

imitator

Origin

From French imitateur, derived from Latin imitātor, equivalent to imitate + -or.

IMK

English

An initialism of in my knowledge.

immaculate

Latin

From Latin immaculatus, "unstained," from im- ("not") plus maculatus ("spotted or stained").

immane

Origin

Borrowed from Latin immānis.

immanence

Origin

Borrowed from French immanence.

immanent

Origin

Entered English around 1530, via French, from Late Latin immanēns, present participle of Latin immanēre, from im- (“in”) + manēre (“to dwell, remain, stay”). Cognate with remain and manor.

immanuel

Origin

From Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל (ʿimanuʾél), from עִמָּנוּ אֵל (ʿimánu ʾél, literally “God is with us”).

immasculate

Origin

The verb was coined by Judith Fetterley in 1978; compare effeminate (verb); contrast emasculate.

immaterial

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin immaterialis, "not made of matter," formed from "im-" ("not") plus "material."

immature

Latin

From Latin immaturus, formed from "im-" ("not") plus maturus ("ripe").

immaturity

Origin

Borrowed from Latin immātūritātem.

immeasurable

Middle English

From Middle English inmesurable, formed from "im-" ("not") plus "measurable."

immediacy

Origin

From immedi(ate) + -acy.

immediate

Late Latin

From Late Latin immediatus, meaning "without anything in between," from in- plus mediatus, from medius ("middle").

immediately

Origin

From "immediate" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly."

immemorable

Origin

From Latin immemorabilis (“not memorable”).

immemorial

French

From French immemorial, formed from "im-" ("not") plus "memorial."

immense

Latin

From Latin immensus, meaning "unmeasured" or "too large to measure," from in- ("not") plus mensus ("measured").

immensely

Origin

From "immense" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly."

immensity

Middle French

From Middle French immensité, built on "immense" plus "-ity."

immensurable

Origin

From Middle English immensurable, from Old French, from Latin immēnsūrābilis, from im- (“not”) (variant form of in-) + mēnsūra (“measure”) + -bilis (“able”).

immerse

Latin

From Latin immersus, past participle of immergere, from in- ("into") plus mergere ("to dip or plunge").

immersion

Late Latin

From Late Latin immersio, meaning "a dipping in," from the verb immergere.

immersive

Latin

From immerse, which comes from Latin immergere 'to plunge into', plus the adjective ending -ive.

immigrant

Latin

From Latin immigrans, "migrating into," from in- ("into") plus migrare ("to migrate").

immigrate

Origin

From Latin immigratus, past participle of immigro (“remove, move into”).

immigration

Origin

From immigrate plus the noun-forming suffix -ion.

imminent

Latin

From Latin imminere, "to overhang" or "threaten" — the same root gives us eminent and mount.

immobile

Latin

From Old French immobile, from Latin immobilis, "not movable" (im- + mobile).

immobility

Origin

From Middle French immobilité, equivalent to immobile + -ity.

immobilization

Origin

From French immobilisation or im- + mobilization or immobilize + -ation.

immobilize

French

From French immobiliser, from immobile plus -ize.

immodesty

Origin

From im- + modesty or immodest + -y.

immolation

Origin

From Middle English immolacion, from Middle French immolation, from Old French, from Latin immolatio.

immoral

Latin

From im- ("not") plus moral, ultimately from Latin mos, "custom" or "manner".