intimate English · revision 13167

− It is [[bor|la|intimātus]], the past participle of intimāre, to make known, announce, impress deeply,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) from Latin intimus, inmost, innermost, as a noun a close friend,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) a superlative of in, in, with the ending -timus as in ultimus.^(Etymonline) An earlier form, intime, very familiar, is from before 1618.^(Barnhart 1988)

− It is probably a back-formation from [[intimation]] (1442–43, Scottish),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) modelled on Late Latin [[m|la|intimātus]], past participle of intimāre, to make known, announce.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) The Old French verb was intimer.^(Etymonline)