Where does “impediment” come from?
Impediment comes from Middle English impediment, from Latin impedimentum, a formation combining the Latin prefix in- (from in, from Proto-Indo-European ne, meaning "not") with the root ped- (meaning "foot"), literally denoting something that entangles or blocks the feet.
impediment (English): A hindrance; that which impedes or obstructs...
Definitions
- A hindrance; that which impedes or obstructs...
Ancestry of “impediment”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | impediment | — |
| 2 | Latin | impedimentum | impediment, hindrance; luggage, equipage |
| 3 | Latin | impedio | I hinder, impede, obstruct, hamper, thwart; I... |
| 4 | Latin | pēs | a foot, in its senses as |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μέτρον | something used to measure: measure, rule, weight;... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -τρον | Forms instrument nouns |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | -tron | Forms instrument nouns from verb stems |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |