Where does “inter” come from?
Inter derives from Middle English enteren, Old French enterrer, and Vulgar Latin interrare, ultimately from Latin interro, composed of Latin in and Proto-Indo-European ne.
inter (English): To bury in a grave; To confine, as in a prison
Definitions
- To bury in a grave; To confine, as in a prison
Ancestry of “inter”, step by step
inter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English enteren
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | enteren | — |
| 2 | French | entrer | to enter |
| 3 | Middle French | entrer | to enter |
| 4 | Old French | entrer | to enter |
| 5 | Latin | intrō | to enter, go into, come in, get in, penetrate |
| 6 | Latin | intra | within; inside; during; less than |
| 7 | Latin | interus | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁énteros | inside, within |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -teros | Contrastive or oppositional adjectival suffix |
via English international
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | international | Of or having to do with more than one nation; Of... |
| 2 | English | national | Of or having to do with a nation; Of or having to... |
| 3 | Latin | nātiō | birth |
| 4 | Latin | nātus | born, arisen, made |
| 5 | Latin | gnātus | — |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | gnātos | born |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵn̥h₁tós | begotten, produced |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |
Words derived from “inter”
- intercom
- interment
- intersubjectivity
- interregional
- interosseous
- interpleader
- interdepartmental
- interrater
- interbody
- interfirm
- interprofessional
- intertext
- interworking
- interhemispheric
- intersectoral
- interobserver
- intermuscular
- intermodulation
- interarrival
- intermembrane
- interdigital
- intercolonial
- interlobular
- intercommunion