impasse

Where does the word "impasse" come from? It comes from Latin passus, passing through Vulgar Latin, Old French and French before entering English (1850s).

Impasse’s story begins in Latin: passus meant “a step, a pace.” A step, a pace, from the Proto-Indo-European root pete- (to spread). By medieval, the word had taken hold in Vulgar Latin as passare. The root of 'pace', 'pass' and 'passage'. From there it passed into Old French as passer by medieval. Carried into French as the basic verb for 'to pass'. French picked it up next, as impasse, around 1600s-1700s. Literally 'not passable', formed from in- (not) and passe (a passing); said to have been introduced by Voltaire as a polite alternative to cul-de-sac. It reached English by 1850s as impasse. Voltaire is credited with using it in French for a dead-end street. Today, impasse means a situation in which no progress can be made; a deadlock.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient passus "a step, a pace", a step, a pace, from the Proto-Indo-European root pete- (to spread).
2. Stage 2 · Vulgar Latin · medieval passare "to step, to walk, to pass", the root of 'pace', 'pass' and 'passage'.
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval passer "to pass", carried into French as the basic verb for 'to pass'.
4. Stage 4 · French · 1600s-1700s impasse "an impassable road, a dead end", literally 'not passable', formed from in- (not) and passe (a passing); said to have been introduced by Voltaire as a polite alternative to cul-de-sac.
5. Stage 5 · English · 1850s impasse "a situation with no clear way forward", Voltaire is credited with using it in French for a dead-end street.