"I" Word Origins

imperation

Origin

Borrowed from Latin imperationem (accusative of imperatio).

imperative

Latin

From Latin imperativus, related to imperare, "to command".

imperativeness

Origin

From imperative + -ness.

imperator

Origin

From Latin imperator (“emperor”).

imperatrix

Origin

From Latin imperatrix (“empress”).

imperceptible

Origin

Inherited from Middle English imperceptible, from Middle French imperceptible and its etymon Medieval Latin imperceptibilis. By surface analysis, im- + perceptible.

imperfect

Latin

From Old French imparfit, from Latin imperfectus; im- + perfect.

imperfection

Old French

From Old French imperfeccion, built from im- ("not") plus perfection.

imperfectly

Origin

From imperfect + -ly or im- + perfectly.

imperial

Latin

From Latin imperialis ("of the empire or emperor"), from imperium ("command, empire").

imperialism

Origin

From imperial + the suffix -ism.

imperialist

Origin

From imperial + -ist.

imperialistic

Origin

From imperialist + -ic or imperial + -istic.

imperious

Origin

From Latin imperiōsus (“mighty, powerful”), from imperium (“command, authority, power”).

imperishable

Origin

From Middle French impérissable. See im- + perishable.

imperium

Origin

Borrowed from Latin imperium (“power, command”), from imperō (“command, order”), from im- (form of in) + parō (“prepare, arrange; intend”). Doublet of empery and empire.

impermanence

Origin

From Middle French impermanence, equivalent to im- + permanence.

impermanent

Origin

From Middle French impermanent, from im- + permanent.

impermeable

Origin

Apparently from im- + permeable. Compare French imperméable, from Latin impermeābilis, from im- + permeābilis (“permeable”).

impersonal

Latin

From French impersonnel, from Latin impersonalis, "not personal."

impersonate

Origin

From im- + person + -ate, literally "to put into a person."

impersonation

Origin

From impersonate + -ion.

impersonator

Origin

From impersonate + -or.

imperspicuous

Origin

From im- + perspicuous.

impertinence

Middle French

From Middle French impertinence, from impertinent.

impertinent

Latin

From Latin impertinens, ultimately im- ("not") + pertinent.

imperturbable

Origin

PIE word *né From Late Middle English imperturbable (“undisturbed; impossible to disturb”), borrowed from Late Latin imperturbābilis, from Latin im- (variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘not’)) + Late Latin perturbabilis (“perturbable”) (from Latin perturbō (“to confuse; to alarm, disturb, trouble, perturb”) + -bilis (suffix forming adjectives denoting a capacity or worth of being acted upon)). Perturbō is derived from per- (intensifying prefix) + turbō (“to agitate, disturb, unsettle, perturb; to upset”) (from turba (“disorder, disturbance, turmoil”) (possibly from Ancient Greek τῠ́ρβη (tŭ́rbē, “confusion, disorder, tumult”), either from Pre-Greek, or Proto-Indo-European *(s)twerH- (“to agitate, stir up; to urge on, propel”)) + -ō (suffix forming infinitives of regular first-conjugation verbs)). By surface analysis, im- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + perturbable.

impervious

Latin

From Latin impervius, "that cannot be passed through," from in- ("not") + pervius ("passable").

impetuous

Late Latin

From Late Latin impetuosus ("violent"), from Latin impetus ("attack, force").

impetus

Latin

From Latin impetus ("a rushing upon, an attack"), from impeto ("to rush upon").

impious

Origin

From Latin impius.

implacable

Latin

From Latin implacabilis, from im- ("not") + placabilis ("able to be appeased").

implant

Latin

From Latin implantare, built from im- ("in") + plant.

implantation

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French implantation.

implausible

Origin

From im- ("not") + plausible.

implement

Late Latin

From Late Latin implementum ("a filling up"), from Latin impleo ("to fill").

implementation

Origin

From implement + -ation.

implicate

Latin

From Latin implicatus, past participle of implico ("to entangle, involve"), from plico ("to fold"). A doublet of imply and employ.

implication

Latin

From Latin implicatio, from implicate + -ion.

implicative

Origin

From implicate + -ive.

implicature

Origin

Coined by British philosopher Paul Grice before or in 1967.

implicit

Latin

From Latin implicitus, past participle of implico ("to entangle, involve"); related to implicate.

implicitly

Origin

From implicit + -ly.

implode

Origin

A back-formation from implosion, itself modelled on explosion.

imploration

Origin

From French imploration, from Latin implorationem.

imploratory

Origin

From Latin implōrātus + English -atory (suffix forming adjectives of, relating to, or connected with [the specified thing]). Implōrātus is the perfect passive participle of implōrō (“to beseech, entreat, implore; to appeal to, pray to”): see further at implore.

implore

Latin

From Latin implorare ("to beseech, entreat"), from im- + ploro ("to cry out, lament").

implosion

Origin

Formed from in- + explosion, the opposite of an outward blast.