English
intervene
Intervene comes from Latin interveniō ‘come between’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *gʷem-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷem-‘to come, to step’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷm̥yéti‘to come’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gʷəniō‘to come’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEveniō‘come’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterveniō‘come between’
- Englishearliest quotation 1667intervene
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷem-‘to come, to step’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷm̥yéti‘to come’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gʷəniō‘to come’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEveniō‘come’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterveniō‘come between’
- Englishearliest quotation 1667intervene
Earliest quotation: 1667, John Milton, Book VIII: “For while so near each other thus all day…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- ‘to come, to step’
come, coming, base, basic, basis, revenue, bass, cum, venue, pug, contravention, quim, 55 more
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷm̥yéti ‘to come’
through Proto-Italic *gʷəniō ‘to come’
convenience, misadventure, 21 more
through Latin veniō ‘come’
event, avenue, convention, adventure, inventory, advent, souvenir, inventor, provenance, invent, convene, revenant, circumvention, contravene, 22 more
Today it means
verb To become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- / intervene