Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “imperceptibly” come from?

Imperceptibly comes from Middle French imperceptible, Old English -līċ, Latin in- and in meaning "not," and Latin capio meaning "to take," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p- and ḱóm.

imperceptibly (English): Not noticeably; too small to be detected; too...

Definitions

  1. Not noticeably; too small to be detected; too...

Ancestry of “imperceptibly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishimperceptiblenot perceptible, not detectable, too small in...
2Middle Frenchimperceptible—
3Medieval Latinimperceptibilisimperceptible
4Latinperceptibilisperceptible, participating
5LatinpercipioI seize or take on ; assume; earn; occupy, keep;...
6LatincapioI take, I capture, I catch, I seize, I take...
7Proto-Italickapiōtake
8Proto-Italickapjōtake, seize
9Proto-Indo-Europeankh₂pyéti—
10Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂p-to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p- →