Etymograph

English

imitate

Imitate comes from Latin imitātus ‘having represented, expressed, portrayed’, from Proto-Italic *imā ‘copy’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- ‘to imitate’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eym-‘to imitate’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*imā‘copy’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEimitor‘to copy, portray, imitate’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimitātus‘having represented, expressed, portrayed’perfect active participle of imitor
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1870imitate

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eym-‘to imitate’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*imā‘copy’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEimitor‘to copy, portray, imitate’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimitātus‘having represented, expressed, portrayed’perfect active participle of imitor
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1870imitate

Earliest quotation: 1870, Shirley Hibberd, Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste: “Another bird quickly learned to imitate the song of…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- ‘to imitate’

imagine, image, imagination, imaginary, emulate, emulation, imago, 8 more

Today it means

verb To follow as a model or a pattern; to make a copy, counterpart or semblance of.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- / imitate

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