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
- Not noticeably; too small to be detected; too...
Ancestry of “imperceptibly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | imperceptible | not perceptible, not detectable, too small in... |
| 2 | Middle French | imperceptible | — |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | imperceptibilis | imperceptible |
| 4 | Latin | perceptibilis | perceptible, participating |
| 5 | Latin | percipio | to seize or take on (entirely); assume; earn; occupy, keep (i.e. maintain control) |
| 6 | Latin | capio | I take, I capture, I catch, I seize, I take... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kapiō | take |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | kapjō | take, seize |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂pyéti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |