Where does “intensifier” come from?
Intensifier comes from English intense, from Middle French intense, from Latin intensus, the past participle of intensere meaning to stretch or strain toward.
intensifier (English): That which intensifies; A word or particle that...
Definitions
- That which intensifies; A word or particle that...
Ancestry of “intensifier”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | intensify | To render more intense; To become intense, or... |
| 2 | English | intense | Strained; tightly drawn; Strict, very close or... |
| 3 | Middle English | intens | — |
| 4 | Old French | intense | — |
| 5 | Latin | intēnsus | intent, eager |
| 6 | Latin | intendō | to stretch out; to strain |
| 7 | Latin | īn- | un-, non-, not |
| 8 | Latin | în | in, at, on, upon, from (space) |
| 9 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |