Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “intricate” come from?

Intricate comes from Latin intricatus, past participle of intricare, composed of the prefix in- and a root from Proto-Indo-European ne, meaning to entangle or perplex.

intricate (English): Having a great deal of fine detail or complexity;...

Definitions

  1. Having a great deal of fine detail or complexity;...

Ancestry of “intricate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinintricatusentangled; intricate, complex
2Latinintrīcō—
3Latinīn-—
4Latinîn—
5Latinenlookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ
6Proto-Italicenin
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁énin

Words derived from “intricate”

  • intricately
  • intricacy
  • intricateness
  • disintricate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁én →