Etymologically
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impingo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word impingo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (pangō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɪmˈpɪŋ.ɡoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [imˈpiŋ.ɡo][1]

Forms

impingō (present infinitive impingere, perfect active impēgī, supine impāctum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from in- and pangō “to fix, drive in”, and is also spelled ⟨inpingō⟩.[2][1][3] Plautus has the old infinitive ⟨impingier⟩.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of fixing on, and Plautus has pugnum in ōs impingere “to drive a fist into the face”.[2][4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to fix, fasten on, to dash against, collide, as in Livy, to strike with a weapon, and in Tacitus to drive a ship ashore.[2] It meant to drive persons against something, as in Virgil, and in Cicero to force something on a person, and in Terence to bring a charge.[2] In Seneca it meant to drive someone into a situation.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to push back, strike.[6] It survives in Romanian împinge.[1] English impinge came in the 1530s, and its participle impāctus gave English impact about 1600.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of fixing and of striking.[2][4][5]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of bringing a charge.[2][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of collision.[2][5]
  • 1530s – English impinge is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To fix, fasten on.[2]
  2. To dash against; to strike; to drive ashore.[2]
  3. To drive against.[2]
  4. To force upon; to bring a charge.[2]
  5. To drive into a situation.[2]

Word family

  • impāgēs
  • impāctus
  • *impinctus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Impingo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/impingo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·