Where does “im-” come from?
im- (Irish) comes from Old Irish imm-, from Proto-Celtic ambi-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- — on, onto.
im- (Irish): about, around, peri-; great, very
Definitions
- about, around, peri-; great, very
Ancestry of “im-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Irish | imm- | around, about; intensive prefix for adjectives... |
| 2 | Proto-Celtic | ambi- | around, about |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |