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Origin and history of interpellation

interpellation(n.)

late 15c., "an appeal" (obsolete), from Latin interpellationem (nominative interpellatio) "an interruption," noun of action from past participle stem of interpellare "to interrupt by speaking," from inter "between" (see inter-) + pellare, collateral form of pellere "to drive" (from PIE root *pel- (5) "to thrust, strike, drive"). The parliamentary sense is attested in English from 1837, from French.

Entries linking to interpellation

1590s, "interrupt," from Latin interpellatus, past participle of interpellare "to interrupt by speaking" (see interpellation). Parliamentary sense of "question formally or publically" is from 1874, from French. Related: Interpellated; interpellating.

word-forming element used freely in English, "between, among, during," from Latin inter (prep., adv.) "among, between, betwixt, in the midst of" (also used extensively as a prefix), from PIE *enter "between, among" (source also of Sanskrit antar, Old Persian antar "among, between," Greek entera (plural) "intestines," Old Irish eter, Old Welsh ithr "among, between," Gothic undar, Old English under "under"), a comparative of root *en "in."

A living prefix in English from 15c. and used with Germanic as well as Latinate words. Spelled entre- in French; most words borrowed into English in that form were re-spelled 16c. to conform with Latin except entertain, enterprise. In Latin, spelling shifted to intel- before -l-, hence intelligence, etc.

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to thrust, strike, drive."

It might form all or part of: anvil; appeal; catapult; compel; dispel; expel; felt (n.) "unwoven fabric matted together by rolling or beating;" filter; filtrate; impel; impulse; interpellation; interpolate; peal; pelt (v.) "to strike (with something);" polish; propel; pulsate; pulsation; pulse (n.1) "a throb, a beat;" push; rappel; repeal; repel; repousse.

It might also be the source ofy: Greek pallein "to wield, brandish, swing," pelemizein "to shake, cause to tremble;" Latin pellere "to push, drive;" Old Church Slavonic plŭstĭ.

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