English
interminable
Interminable comes from Late Latin interminābilis ‘interminable, endless’, from Latin terminō ‘to finish, end’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *térmn̥.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*térmn̥‘boundary, end’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*termn̥‘boundary stone’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*term(e)nos‘boundary stone’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterminus‘bound, limit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEterminō‘to finish, end’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEinterminābilis‘interminable, endless’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600interminable
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1847same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*térmn̥‘boundary, end’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*termn̥‘boundary stone’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*term(e)nos‘boundary stone’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterminus‘bound, limit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEterminō‘to finish, end’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEinterminābilis‘interminable, endless’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600interminable
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1847same form
Earliest quotation: 1847, – 1848 July, Crawley of Queen’s Crawley: “After supper Sir Pitt Crawley began to smoke his…”
Equivalent to in- + terminable
Latin terminābilis
Anglo-Norman or Middle French terminable
Middle English terminable ‘resolvable’
English terminable
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ter- ‘tender, weak’
thrill, intrigue, treachery, thro, inextricable, 25 more
through Proto-Indo-European *térmn̥ ‘boundary, end’
through Proto-Italic *term(e)nos ‘boundary stone’
terminal, extermination, terminus, determinate, 18 more
through Latin terminus ‘bound, limit’
through Latin terminō ‘to finish, end’
determination, termination, terminate, terminator, determinism, 8 more
Today it means
adj Existing or occurring without interruption or end; ceaseless, unending.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *térmn̥ / interminable