Where does “intermountain” come from?
intermountain (English) comes from English inter, from Middle English enteren, from French entrer, from Middle French entrer, from Old French entrer, from Latin intrō, from Latin intra, from Latin interus — Contrastive or oppositional adjectival suffix.
intermountain (English): Between mountains
Definitions
- Between mountains
Ancestry of “intermountain”, step by step
intermountain traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English inter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | inter | To bury in a grave; To confine, as in a prison |
| 2 | Middle English | enteren | — |
| 3 | French | entrer | to enter |
| 4 | Middle French | entrer | to enter |
| 5 | Old French | entrer | to enter |
| 6 | Latin | intrō | to enter, go into, come in, get in, penetrate |
| 7 | Latin | intra | within; inside; during; less than |
| 8 | Latin | interus | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁énteros | inside, within |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -teros | Contrastive or oppositional adjectival suffix |
via English Mountain
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Mountain | a steam locomotive of the 4-8-2 wheel arrangement |
| 2 | Middle English | mountayne | A mountain; a mount or peak; A lump or pile |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | montaigne | — |
| 4 | Latin | montānia | mountainous area |
| 5 | Latin | montem | accusative singular of mōns; mountain |
| 6 | Latin | mons | mountain, mount; towering mass, heap, great... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | monti | — |
| 8 | Portuguese | Monte | mount; a mountain or large hill |
| 9 | Old Portuguese | monte | — |