Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “superimpose” come from?

Superimpose comes from English super- combined with impose, which derives from Middle French imposer, from Latin imponere meaning "to place upon," composed of in- "on" and ponere "to place."

superimpose (English): To place an object over another object, usually...

Definitions

  1. To place an object over another object, usually...

Ancestry of “superimpose”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishimposeTo establish or apply by authority; to be an...
2Middle Englishimposen—
3Middle Frenchimposerto lay on, impose
4Latinimponeresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
5LatinimponoI place on or upon, set upon, lay upon; I impose...
6Latinim-Alternative form of in-; form of "in"; in
7Latinīn-—
8Latinîn—
9Latinenlookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ
10Proto-Italicenin
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁énin

Words derived from “superimpose”

  • superimposable
  • nonsuperimposable
  • superimposability
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁én →