Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “impermanence” come from?

Impermanence derives from Middle French impermanence, a noun formation expressing the quality of not being permanent or lasting.

impermanence (English): Lack of permanence or continued duration; The...

Definitions

  1. Lack of permanence or continued duration; The...

Ancestry of “impermanence”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishim-Expressing negation; not; Alternative form of the...
2Englishin-in, into, towards, within; in, into; Used with...
3Middle Englishin-—
4Old Englishin-in, into; on, upon; internal, positioned on the...
5Old Englishinin; Alternative form of inn
6Proto-West Germanic*in—
7Proto-Germanicinin; into
8Proto-Indo-Europeanénin
Every word from Proto-Indo-European én →