Where does “imperative” come from?
Imperative comes from Latin imperativus, formed from the prefix in- and the suffix -ivus attached to Latin imperāre, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European h₁én meaning "in" or "within."
imperative (English): Essential; crucial; extremely important; Of, or...
Definitions
- Essential; crucial; extremely important; Of, or...
Ancestry of “imperative”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | imperātīvus | Of or proceeding from a command, commanded |
| 2 | Latin | imperō | to command, give orders to, impose, demand |
| 3 | Latin | im- | Alternative form of in-; form of "in"; in |
| 4 | Latin | īn- | un-, non-, not |
| 5 | Latin | în | in, at, on, upon, from (space) |
| 6 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |