Where does “inmate” come from?
Inmate derives from Middle English in, Old English inn meaning "a place where one dwells," combined with mate through Proto-Indo-European roots ḱóm and en, ultimately denoting shared dwelling.
inmate (English): A person confined to an institution such as a...
Definitions
- A person confined to an institution such as a...
Ancestry of “inmate”, step by step
inmate traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English maté
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | maté | An evergreen tree, Ilex paraquariensis, native to... |
| 2 | Middle English | mate | mate companion, comrade |
| 3 | Middle Low German | māte | — |
| 4 | Old Saxon | gimato | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | gamatjô | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ga- | Indicates association or togetherness; co-;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 9 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 10 | German | kitt | putty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes |
| 11 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 12 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 13 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |
via English inn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | inn | Any establishment where travellers can procure... |
| 2 | Middle English | in | Any kind of accomodation; particularly; A home or... |
| 3 | Old English | inn | in; inn |
| 4 | Old English | inne | inside, in; indoors |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | innai | within, inside |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | in | in; into |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | én | in |