English
imperceptible
Imperceptible comes from Medieval Latin imperceptibilis, and goes back to Latin perceptibilis ‘perceptible, participating (in anything)’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEperceptibilis‘perceptible, participating (in anything)’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500imperceptibilis
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600imperceptible
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1653same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEperceptibilis‘perceptible, participating (in anything)’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500imperceptibilis
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600imperceptible
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1653same form
Earliest quotation: 1653, Henry More, London: […] Roger Daniel: “For this ſtone may have naturally grown into this…”
Equivalent to im- + perceptible
Proto-Indo-European *kap-
…
Archaic Latin kapiō
Latin capiō ‘capture, seize’
Latin percipio ‘to seize or take on (entirely)’
Late Latin perceptibilis ‘perceptible, participating (in anything)’
English perceptible
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap-
had, head, capital, heavy, catch, captain, capacity, behavior, except, achieve, heavily, escape, chapter, chef, cape, cabin, haven, occupation, cattle, behave, capitol, chapel, capita, hawk, acceptance, precipitation, captive, chaplain, cad, mischief, captivity, conceive, mischievous, haves, capillary, chieftain, conceivable, precipitate, capo, cabana, 139 more
through Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti ‘to be grasping’
through Proto-Italic *kapjō ‘to take, seize’
case, capsule, chassis, cashier, cassette, casket, cajon, kas, chasse, 28 more
through Archaic Latin kapiō
through Latin capiō ‘capture, seize’
cash, receive, chase, accept, cop, capable, capture, cable, recipe, recipient, reception, anticipation, anticipate, caption, cater, deceive, deception, deceit, susceptible, deceptive, preoccupation, receivable, captor, captivate, sashay, preceptor, 25 more
through Latin percipiō ‘seize’
Today it means
adj Not perceptible, not detectable, too small in magnitude to be observed.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin perceptibilis / imperceptible