English
imprimatur
Imprimatur comes from Latin imprimātur ‘let it be printed’, from imprimō ‘to imprint’, and ultimately from premō ‘to press’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpremō‘to press’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimprimōas imprimere‘to imprint’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimprimātur‘let it be printed’
- Englishearliest quotation 1644imprimatur
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpremō‘to press’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimprimōas imprimere‘to imprint’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimprimātur‘let it be printed’
- Englishearliest quotation 1644imprimatur
Earliest quotation: 1644, John Milton, London: [s.n.]: “Sometimes 5 Imprimaturs are ſeen together dialogue-wiſe in the…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pres- ‘to press’
first, expression, frist, impressionistic, 30 more
through Proto-Italic *pres-
pressure, express, depression, oppression, compression, suppression, depressive, compress, depress, repress, impressionable, impressionist, impressionism, 32 more
through Latin premō ‘to press’
press, pregnant, sprain, reprimand, 45 more
through Latin imprimō ‘to imprint’
Today it means
noun An official license to publish or print something, especially when censorship applies.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin premō / imprimatur