Where does “interplay” come from?

Interplay comes from English inter- combined with play, from Latin inter meaning "between" and placitum meaning "agreed upon," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wel- meaning "to wish or choose."

interplay (English): Interaction; reciprocal relationship; to interact

Definitions

  1. Interaction; reciprocal relationship; to interact

Ancestry of “interplay”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishplayTo act in a manner such that one has fun; to...
2Middle EnglishpleyeHappiness, mirth, jolliness, or gaiety; Fun,...
3Old Englishpleġaexercise
4Proto-West Germanicplegōcare; an exercise; a game
5Proto-West GermanicCreates adverbs from adjectives; Creates agent...
6Proto-Germanic-ly; Forms agent nouns, often from the zero-grade...
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanDerives nouns from roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European