immineo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɪmˈmɪ.ne.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [imˈmiː.ne.o]^[1]

Forms

immineō (present infinitive imminēre, perfect active imminuī); second conjugation, no passive, no supine stem^[1]

Etymology

It is from in- “on, over” and ⟨-mineō⟩, as in ēmineō “to stand out”, from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to stand out”).^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Caesar, of pursuers pressing close, and Cicero, of impending dangers.^[2] Köbler dates Caesar c. 50 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to overhang, overlook, of natural features and buildings, as in Virgil, and in Seneca to lean over and to be intent on something.^[2] In Caesar it meant to press closely on, in Nepos to be a threat, and in Cicero of dangers to impend, threaten, be imminent.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to project over, threaten, impend, aspire to.^[4] Its participle imminēns gave English imminent in the mid-15th century, “impending”.^[5]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of impending dangers.^[2][3]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of pressing close.^[2][3]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of overhanging.^[2][3]
• mid-15th century – English imminent is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To overhang, overlook.^[2]
2. To lean over; to be intent on.^[2]
3. To press close on.^[2]
4. To threaten.^[2]
5. To impend, be imminent.^[2]

Word family

• imminentia
• superimmineō

Related words

• ēmineō
• minae
• prōmineō
• English imminent

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com