impertinent etymology

Etymology

The word "impertinent" originates from the Latin word "impertinens," meaning "not pertaining to." It is derived from the prefix "in-," meaning "not," and the verb "pertinere," meaning "to pertain or belong to."

Meaning

The primary meaning of "impertinent" is "not relevant or appropriate to the situation." It refers to actions, speech, or information that is out of place, intrusive, or unrelated.

Origin

The use of "impertinent" to describe behavior and communication can be traced back to classical Latin literature. Roman philosophers and orators used the term to criticize arguments that were irrelevant to the topic at hand.

In the 16th century, "impertinent" entered the English language through the translation of Latin texts. It was initially used in a scholarly context to describe academic or religious arguments that were deemed irrelevant or disrespectful.

Over time, the meaning of "impertinent" expanded to include any type of behavior that was considered inappropriate or disrespectful. It became synonymous with rudeness, insolence, and lack of manners.

Usage

The word "impertinent" is often used in a negative sense to criticize actions or words that are considered rude, intrusive, or out of line. It can be used in various contexts, including:

  • Communication: when someone makes irrelevant, inappropriate, or disrespectful comments or questions.
  • Behavior: when someone behaves inappropriately, intrudes on someone's space, or disregards social norms.
  • Information: when information is irrelevant to a specific topic or conversation.

impertinent relate terms

  • pertinent

    Etymology Latin pertinens Present participle of pertinere Meaning to belong to

  • pertain

    Etymology Latin pertinēre to belong to to have a relation to to concern Proto In

  • impertinence

    Etymology French impertinence Latin impertinentia irrelevance inappropriateness

  • impertinent

    Etymology The word impertinent originates from the Latin word impertinens meaning n

  • fresh

    Etymology The word fresh derives from the Old English word fersc meaning new rece

  • smart

    Etymology of smart Middle English smarte smerte Old English smeortan smeort Proto

  • saucy

    Etymology Late 16th century from sauce y y1 suffix forming adjectives from nouns

  • jackanapes

    Etymology The word jackanapes is believed to have originated from two possible sources

  • presumptuous

    Etymology Presumptuous comes from the Latin word praesumo which means to take somet

  • dandy

    Etymology The word dandy is derived from the Scottish dander meaning to strut abou

  • wise

    Etymology Old English wis noun and wisian verb Germanic root wit meaning to

  • pert

    Etymology From Middle English pert from Old English pert bright brisk lively proba

  • immaterial

    Etymology The word immaterial is derived from the Latin phrase in materialis meanin