English
immunity
Immunity comes from Latin immūnitās ‘freedom or exemption from taxes or public…’, from in- -is ‘-less, without, lacking’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*moy-nósreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moinos‘service’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūnus‘a service, office, employment’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEin- -is‘-less, without, lacking’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimmūnis‘free or exempt from taxes, public service, or penalty (+ ablative)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimmūnitās‘freedom or exemption from taxes or public service’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400immunité
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500immunite
- Englishearliest quotation 1842immunity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*moy-nósreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moinos‘service’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūnus‘a service, office, employment’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEin- -is‘-less, without, lacking’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimmūnis‘free or exempt from taxes, public service, or penalty (+ ablative)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimmūnitās‘freedom or exemption from taxes or public service’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400immunité
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500immunite
- Englishearliest quotation 1842immunity
Earliest quotation: 1842, anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizab, Keeping up Appearances. […]: “Nevertheless, his reason rebelled, and his sense of religion…”
Formed from immune + -ity
Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’
…
Latin mūnus ‘service’
Latin in- -is
Latin immūnis ‘exempt from public service’
Middle French immun
English immune
The story
From Middle English immunite, from Old French immunité, from Latin immūnitās, in the legal sense; for the medical use see immunization.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’
mean, met, common, minute, minister, commission, minor, mess, meal, ministry, min, community, menu, communication, compromise, missile, mere, mutual, minus, commit, dismiss, premise, communist, mole, communicate, mayhem, noodle, moor, mural, intermittent, ammo, communal, ammunition, communism, communion, mite, omit, minstrel, commune, monolith, 77 more
through Latin mūnus ‘a service, office, employment’
municipality, remuneration, 5 more
through Latin in- -is ‘-less, without, lacking’
Today it means
noun The state of being insusceptible to something; notably: Protective resistance against disease.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mey- / immunity