English
impresa
Impresa comes from Italian impresa ‘enterprise, undertaking, exploit, feat,…’, from Proto-Italic *hendō ‘to hold’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- ‘to find’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰed-‘to find’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰnédtireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hendō‘to hold’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*praiɣendōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprehendere
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*imprehendere‘undertake’reconstructed
- Italianc. 1300–presentimprenderedeverb.
- Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentimpresa‘enterprise, undertaking, exploit, feat, endeavour/endeavor’
- Englishearliest quotation 1674same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰed-‘to find’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰnédtireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hendō‘to hold’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*praiɣendōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprehendere
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*imprehendere‘undertake’reconstructed
- Italianc. 1300–presentimprenderedeverb.
- Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentimpresa‘enterprise, undertaking, exploit, feat, endeavour/endeavor’
- Englishearliest quotation 1674same form
Earliest quotation: 1674, John Milton, Book 9: “[…] or to describe Races and Games, Or tilting…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- ‘to find’
yet, guess, prey, predator, apprehend, predation, reprieve, beget, prehensile, 31 more
through Proto-Italic *hendō ‘to hold’
through Proto-Italic *praiɣendō
prison, surprise, prize, comprehensive, apprentice, comprise, comprehend, comprehension, apprehension, apprehensive, reprehensible, 14 more
Today it means
noun A device on a shield or seal, or used as a bookplate etc.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- / impresa