Where does “importunate” come from?
Importunate comes from Middle French importuner, from Latin importunari meaning "to trouble persistently," derived from importunus "unsuitable or troublesome," formed from the prefix in- and a root related to Proto-Indo-European ne meaning "not."
importunate (English): Persistent or pressing, often annoyingly so;...
Definitions
- Persistent or pressing, often annoyingly so;...
Ancestry of “importunate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | importuner | to importune, to annoy |
| 2 | French | importun | undesirable, troublesome; unwanted, unwelcome |
| 3 | Latin | importūnus | inconvenient, unsuitable |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | portus | harbour |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pértus | crossing |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |