English
immure
Immure comes from Old French enmurer ‘to immure’, from Latin mūrus ‘wall’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to fix, to build fortifications or fences’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘to fix, to build fortifications or fences’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*moyrosreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moiros‘wall’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūrus‘wall’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimmūrō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400enmurer‘to immure’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enmuren
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1602immure
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘to fix, to build fortifications or fences’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*moyrosreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moiros‘wall’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūrus‘wall’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimmūrō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400enmurer‘to immure’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enmuren
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1602immure
Earliest quotation: c. 1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida: “[…]Troy, within whose strong emures[…]”
The story
Modern spelling is modelled after the Latin.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to fix, to build fortifications or fences’
mean, met, minister, minute, community, common, commission, ministry, minor, mess, meal, min, communication, menu, compromise, missile, commit, mutual, minus, communist, communicate, dismiss, mere, mole, premise, ammunition, municipality, mayhem, communism, noodle, immune, intermittent, moor, immunity, communal, communion, ammo, mite, omit, remuneration, 78 more
through Latin mūrus ‘wall’
Today it means
verb To cloister, confine, imprison or hole up: to lock someone up or seclude oneself behind walls.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mey- / immure