English
impromptu
Impromptu comes from French impromptu ‘improvised, not planned’, and goes back to Latin in prōmptū.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEin prōmptū
- Frenchc. 1600–presentimpromptu‘improvised, not planned’
- Englishearliest quotation 1997same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEin prōmptū
- Frenchc. 1600–presentimpromptu‘improvised, not planned’
- Englishearliest quotation 1997same form
Earliest quotation: 1997, Christopher H. Gibbs, The Cambridge Companion to Schubert: “The second impromptu is a dance-like Allegretto in A…”
Every English word from Latin in prōmptū
Today it means
adj Improvised; without prior preparation, planning, or rehearsal.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin in prōmptū / impromptu