Where does “imply” come from?
Imply comes from Middle English implien, from Old French emplier, from Latin implicare meaning to enfold or involve, formed from the prefix in- and a root from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- meaning to fill.
imply (English): to have as a necessary consequence; to suggest by...
Definitions
- to have as a necessary consequence; to suggest by...
Ancestry of “imply”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | implien | — |
| 2 | Old French | emplier | Alternative form of emploiier; to fill |
| 3 | Latin | impleo | I fill up, fill full; cover; I satisfy, satiate;... |
| 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 |