Where does “imitate” come from?

imitate (Latin) comes from Latin imitatus, from Latin imitor, from Proto-Italic imā, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eym- — to copy, imitate.

imitate (Latin): vocative masculine singular of imitātus

Definitions

  1. vocative masculine singular of imitātus

Ancestry of “imitate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinimitatusrepresented
2LatinimitorI represent, express, portray; I imitate, act...
3Proto-Italicimācopy
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eym-to copy, imitate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eym- →Every word from Proto-Italic imā →Every word from Latin imitor →
imitate — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer