Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate
Tracing “”…
Where does the word "imitate" come from? It comes from Latin imitari, passing through French before entering English (1530s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "imitate" come from? It comes from Latin imitari, passing through French before entering English (1530s).
Imitate’s story begins in Latin: imitari meant “to copy.” Related to 'imago', image. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as imiter. Aristotle's 'mimesis', imitation, was central to Renaissance art theory. It reached English by 1530s as imitate. 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery' dates from 1820. Today, imitate means to copy.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient imitari "to copy", related to 'imago', image.
- Stage 2 · French · 1500s imiter "to imitate", Aristotle's 'mimesis', imitation, was central to Renaissance art theory.
- Stage 3 · English · 1530s imitate "to copy", 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery' dates from 1820.