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Origin and history of interior

interior(adj.)

late 15c., from Latin interior "inner, interior, middle," comparative adjective of inter "within" (from PIE *enter "between, among," comparative of root *en "in").

The specific meaning "away from the coast, of the interior parts of a country" is from 1777. Interior decoration is attested by 1769; interior decorator is from 1830. Interior design from 1927.

interior(n.)

"part of a country distant from the coast," 1796, from interior (adj.); meaning "internal part, inside" is from 1828. Meaning "internal affairs of a country or state" (as in U.S. Department of the Interior) is from 1826. The Latin adjective also was used as a noun.

also from 1796

Entries linking to interior

interiority(n.)

"inwardness, quality of being interior," 1701, from interior + -ity.

*en

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "in."

It might form all or part of: and; atoll; dysentery; embargo; embarrass; embryo; empire; employ; en- (1) "in; into;" en- (2) "near, at, in, on, within;" enclave; endo-; enema; engine; enoptomancy; enter; enteric; enteritis; entero-; entice; ento-; entrails; envoy; envy; episode; esoteric; imbroglio; immolate; immure; impede; impend; impetus; important; impostor; impresario; impromptu; in; in- (2) "into, in, on, upon;" inchoate; incite; increase; inculcate; incumbent; industry; indigence; inflict; ingenuous; ingest; inly; inmost; inn; innate; inner; innuendo; inoculate; insignia; instant; intaglio; inter-; interim; interior; intern; internal; intestine; intimate (adj.) "closely acquainted, very familiar;" intra-; intricate; intrinsic; intro-; introduce; introduction; introit; introspect; invert; mesentery.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit antara- "interior;" Greek en "in," eis "into," endon "within;" Latin in "in, into," intro "inward," intra "inside, within;" Old Irish in, Welsh yn, Old Church Slavonic on-, Old English in "in, into," inne "within, inside."

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    inside
    late 14c., ynneside "interior part (of the body)," compound of in (prep.) + side (n.). General sense "inner side or part (of anything)" is from c. 1500. The adjective sense "being on the inside" is from 1610s, from the noun. It began to be used in slang c. 1900 in reference to th
    inner
    c. 1400, from Old English inra, comparative of inne (adv.) "inside" (see in (adv.)). Similar formation in Old High German innaro, German inner. The original order of comparison was in/inner/inmost; the evolution has been unusual for a comparative, and inner has not been used with
    intrinsic
    late 15c., "interior, inward, internal," from Old French intrinsèque "inner" (14c.), from Medieval Latin intrinsecus "interior...
    inland
    "of or pertaining to interior parts of a country," 1550s, from in + land (n.)....The noun meaning "interior parts of a country (remote from the sea or borders)" is attested from 1570s....
    boughten
    This is a common word in the interior of New England and New York....
    bore
    The meaning "cylindrical hole through a tube, gun, etc." is from 1570s; that of "interior diameter of a tube, caliber of...
    internal
    early 15c., "extending toward the interior," from Medieval Latin internalis, from Latin internus "within, inward, internal," figuratively "domestic," expanded from pre-Latin *interos, *interus "on the inside, inward," from PIE *en-ter- (source also of Old Church Slavonic anter, S
    Indies
    "India and adjacent regions and islands," 1550s, plural of Indie, Indy, from Middle English Ynde (early 13c.), the usual word in Middle English for "India," from the Old French form of Latin India (see India). Commonly applied to Asia and the East generally; later in a time of ge
    surface
    1610s, "the bounding or limiting parts of a body," from French surface "an outermost boundary, outside part" (16c.), from Old French sur- "above" (see sur-) + face (see face (n.)). The French words is patterned on Latin superficies "surface, upper side, top" (see superficial). Th

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