Etymologically
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interimo

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 19:05. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɪnˈtɛ.rɪ.moː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [inˈtɛː.ri.mo][1]

Forms

interimō (present infinitive interimere, perfect active interēmī, supine interēmptum); third conjugation[1] Also interemō; supine interēmptum or interēmtum.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from inter- and emō “to take”, “to take away from among”.[2][1][4] De Vaan traces ⟨emō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to take”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to cut off from life, kill, as in Plautus and Virgil, and to put an end to, destroy, abolish a state or practice, as in Plautus.[2][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to kill, slay, destroy, annihilate.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][6]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of killing.[4][6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To kill, slay.[2]
  2. To destroy, abolish.[2]

Word family

  • interemptibilis
  • interemptio
  • interēmptor
  • interēmptrīx
  • interemptus

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson