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Origin and history of imitable

imitable(adj.)

"capable of being copied or imitated," 1550s, from French imitable (16c.), from Latin imitabilis "that may be imitated," from imitari "to copy, portray" (see image (n.)). Related: Imitability.

also from 1550s

Entries linking to imitable

image(n.)

c. 1200, "piece of statuary; artificial representation that looks like a person or thing," from Old French image "image, likeness; figure, drawing, portrait; reflection; statue," earlier imagene (11c.), from Latin imaginem (nominative imago) "copy, imitation, likeness; statue, picture," also "phantom, ghost, apparition," figuratively "idea, appearance," from stem of imitari "to copy, imitate" (from suffixed form of PIE root *aim- "to copy").

The meaning "reflection in a mirror" is early 14c. The mental sense was in Latin, and appears in English late 14c. The sense of "public impression" is attested in isolated cases from 1908 but not in common use until its rise in the jargon of advertising and public relations, c. 1958.

To þe ymage of god he made hym [Genesis i.27, Wycliffite Bible, early version, 1382]
inimitable(adj.)

late 15c., from Latin inimitabilis "that cannot be imitated," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + imitabilis "imitable" (see imitable). Related: Inimitably.

*aim-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to copy." 

It might form all or part of: emulate; emulation; emulous; image; imaginary; imagination; imaginative; imagine; imago; imitable; imitate; imitative; imitator; inimitable.

It might also be the source of: Latin imago "image," aemulus "emulous," imitari "to copy, portray, imitate;" Hittite himma- "imitation, substitute."

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    "class, sort, variety," from Old English gecynd "kind, nature, race," related to cynn "family" (see kin), from Proto-Germanic *kundjaz "family, race," from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups. Ælfric's rend
    firmament
    mid-13c., "expanse of space above the earth where the heavenly bodies move," hence "the arch or vault of the heavens, the visible sky" (c. 1300), from Old French firmament or directly from Latin firmamentum "firmament," literally "a support, a strengthening," from firmus "strong,
    ordeal
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    glory
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    python
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    Christian
    1520s as a noun, "a believer in and follower of Christ;" 1550s as an adjective, "professing the Christian religion, received into the Christian church," 16c. forms replacing Middle English Cristen (adjective and noun), from Old English cristen, from a West Germanic borrowing of C
    soccer
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    vernacular
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    late-14c., "morally discerning, prudent, circumspect, wise or judicious in avoiding mistakes," from Old French discret "discreet, sensible, intelligent, wise," from Latin discretus "separated, distinct," in Medieval Latin "discerning, careful," past participle of discernere "to s

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