English
imperial
Imperial comes from Latin imperiālis ‘of the empire or emperor, imperial’, from imperō ‘command, order’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- ‘to grant’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*perh₃-‘to grant’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr̥h₃-o-‘providing’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEparō‘prepare, arrange’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimperō‘command, order’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimperium‘empire, imperial government’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimperiālis‘of the empire or emperor, imperial’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400imperial
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1588–1593same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*perh₃-‘to grant’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr̥h₃-o-‘providing’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEparō‘prepare, arrange’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimperō‘command, order’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimperium‘empire, imperial government’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimperiālis‘of the empire or emperor, imperial’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400imperial
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1588–1593same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1588–1593, William Shakespeare, The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus: “the imperial diadem of Rome”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- ‘to grant’
part, expert, para, experiment, parcel, parental, parity, 45 more
through Latin parō ‘prepare, arrange’
several, separate, repair, preparation, separation, apparatus, apparel, parachute, preparatory, disparate, inseparable, severance, separator, pare, reparation, rampart, separable, 18 more
through Latin imperō ‘command, order’
through Latin imperium ‘empire, imperial government’
Today it means
adj Related to an empire, emperor, or empress.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- / imperial