Where does “imp” come from?
Imp comes from Middle English impen, formed with the Middle English verb-forming suffix -en from Old English -en, ultimately from Latin imputo meaning "to charge or attribute," composed of the Latin prefix in- and Latin in.
imp (English): A small, mischievous sprite, or a malevolent...
Definitions
- A small, mischievous sprite, or a malevolent...
Ancestry of “imp”, step by step
imp traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English impen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | impen | Alternative form of ympen |
| 2 | Old English | impian | to graft |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | impōn | to graft |
| 4 | Latin | imputō | to reckon, charge, enter into the account |
| 5 | Latin | īn- | un-, non-, not |
| 6 | Latin | în | in, at, on, upon, from (space) |
| 7 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |
via English impart
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | impart | To give or bestow; To give a part or to share; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | imparten | — |
| 3 | Middle French | impartir | — |
| 4 | Latin | impartiō | — |
| 5 | Latin | partiō | to share, part, apportion; divide, distribute |
| 6 | Latin | pars | part, side, piece, share; some; faction |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |