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Origin and history of internal

internal(adj.)

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, Sanskrit antar "within, between," Old High German unter "between," and the "down" sense of Old English under); suffixed (comparative) form of root *en "in."

Meaning "situated within" is from 1590s. Meaning "of or pertaining to the domestic affairs of a country (as in internal revenue) is from 1795; the notion is "pertaining to the subject itself; independent of others." Internal-combustion in reference to an engine in which fuel is burned inside it, is from 1884. Related: Internally.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to internal

intern(n.)

"one working under supervision as part of professional training," originally "assistant resident physician, doctor in training in a hospital," 1879, American English, from French interne "assistant doctor," noun use of interne "internal," from Latin internus "within, inward" (see internal). Extended to other professions (originally teaching) from 1963 in reference to one under training and acquiring practical experience.

internality(n.)

1802, from internal + -ity.

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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
interior
late 15c., from Latin interior "inner, interior, middle," comparative adjective of inter "within" (from PIE *enter "between, among," comparative of root *en "in"). Specific meaning "away from the coast, of the interior parts of a country" is from 1777. Interior decoration first a
home
Old English ham "dwelling place, house, abode, fixed residence; estate; village; region, country," from Proto-Germanic *haimaz "home" (source also of Old Frisian hem "home, village," Old Norse heimr "residence, world," heima "home," Danish hjem, Middle Dutch heem, German heim "ho
visceral
1570s, "affecting inward feelings," from French viscéral and directly from Medieval Latin visceralis "internal," from Latin...viscera, plural of viscus "internal organ, inner parts of the body," of unknown origin....
intrinsic
late 15c., "interior, inward, internal," from Old French intrinsèque "inner" (14c.), from Medieval Latin intrinsecus "interior..., internal," from Latin intrinsecus (adv.)...
intestine
Latin intestinum "a gut," in plural (intestina), "intestines, bowels," noun use of neuter of adjective intestinus "inward, internal...Intestine also was used as an adjective in English 16c.-19c. with a sense (as in French) of "internal, domestic, civil."...
entrails
"internal parts of animal bodies," c. 1300, from Old French entrailles (12c.), from Late Latin intralia "inward parts, intestines..." (8c.), from altered form of Latin interanea, noun use of neuter plural of interaneus "internal, that which is within,"...
intimate
1630s, "closely acquainted, very familiar," also "inmost, intrinsic," from Late Latin intimatus, past participle of intimare "make known, announce, impress," from Latin intimus "inmost, innermost, deepest" (adj.), also used figuratively, of affections, feelings, and as a noun, "c
national
"of or pertaining to a nation or a country regarded as a whole; established and maintained by the nation; peculiar to the whole people of a country," 1590s, from French national (16c., from Old French nacion), and also from nation + -al (1). Opposed to local or provincial (or in
under
Old English under (prep.) "beneath, among, before, in the presence of, in subjection to, under the rule of, by means of," also, as an adverb, "beneath, below, underneath," expressing position with reference to that which is above, from Proto-Germanic *under- (source also of Old F

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