Latin

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Etymology

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Deponent frequentative verb derived from Proto-Italic *imā, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- (to imitate); same source as Latin imāgō f (a copy, image), Latin aemulus (envious, rivaling, adjective) and Hittite 𒄭𒅎𒈠𒀸 c (ḫi-im-ma-aš /⁠ḫimmaš⁠/, substitute, imitation).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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imitor (present infinitive imitārī or imitārier, perfect active imitātus sum); first conjugation, deponent

  1. to represent, express, portray
  2. to imitate, act like, copy after, seek to resemble, counterfeit

Conjugation

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1The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Asturian: imitar
  • Catalan: imitar
  • Latin: imitātus
  • French: imiter
  • Galician: imitar
  • Italian: imitare
  • Piedmontese: imité
  • Portuguese: imitar
  • Romanian: imita
  • Spanish: imitar

From *reimitor:

References

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  • imitor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • imitor”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • imitor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
  • Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
    • (1) to make a lifelike natural representation of a thing (used of the artist); (2) to be lifelike (of a work of art): veritatem imitari (Div. 1. 13. 23)
  NODES
see 1