Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “intermediate” come from?

Intermediate comes from Medieval Latin intermediatus, from Latin intermediare, combining inter and the root of volvere, medius, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European médʰyos meaning middle.

intermediate (English): Being between two extremes, or in the middle of a...

Definitions

  1. Being between two extremes, or in the middle of a...

Ancestry of “intermediate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Medieval Latinintermediatus—
2Latinintermediare—
3Late Latinmediareto mediate; present active infinitive of mediō;...
4LatinmedioI halve, divide in the middle; I am in the...
5Latinmediusmiddle; half; moderate
6Latinlocusplace, spot; a passage of literature; "in the...
7Old Latinstlocus—
8Proto-Italicstlokos—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanstel-to put, to place; to locate

Words derived from “intermediate”

  • intermediation
  • disintermediation
  • intermediately
  • intermediacy
  • reintermediation
  • intermediateness
  • intermediatory
  • nonintermediate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European stel- →