Where does “intermittent” come from?
Intermittent derives from Middle French intermittent, from Latin intermittens, combining inter- and mittere, ultimately traceable to Proto-Indo-European roots mey- and wel-.
intermittent (English): Stopping and starting, occuring, or presenting at...
Definitions
- Stopping and starting, occuring, or presenting at...
Ancestry of “intermittent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | intermittent | — |
| 2 | Latin | intermittens | interrupting |
| 3 | Latin | intermitto | I interrupt; I stop; I omit |
| 4 | Latin | inter | between, among; during, while |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁entér | between |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁en | in; in, inside |