Etymology dictionary

incarnation (n.) — inconclusive (adj.)

incarnation (n.)

c. 1300, "embodiment of God in the person of Christ," from Old French incarnacion "the Incarnation" (12c.), from Late Latin incarnationem (nominative incarnatio), "act of being made flesh" (used by Church writers especially in reference to God in Christ; source also of Spanish encarnacion, Italian incarnazione), noun of action from past-participle stem of Late Latin incarnari "be made flesh," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + caro (genitive carnis) "flesh" (originally "a piece of flesh," from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut"). Glossed in Old English as inflæscnes, inlichomung. As "person or thing that is the embodiment" (of some quality, deity, etc.) from 1742.

incarnate (adj.)

late 14c., "embodied in flesh, in human or bodily form" (of souls, spirits, etc.), from Late Latin incarnatus "made flesh," a frequent word among early Christian writers, past-participle adjective from Latin incarnare "to make flesh" (see incarnation). Of qualities or abstractions, 1530s.

incarnadine

1590s (adj.) "flesh-colored, carnation-colored, pale red, pink," from French incarnadin (16c.), from dialectal Italian incarnadino "flesh-color," from Late Latin incarnatio (see incarnation). The adjective now is archaic or obsolete. The word survives as a verb taken from the adjective, which properly would mean "to make flesh-colored," but means "make red" instead, the sense and the existence of the verb being entirely traceable to Lady Macbeth ("Macbeth" II ii.) in 1605. Its direct root might be the noun incarnadine "blood-red; flesh-color," though this is not attested until 1620s.

incase (v.)

variant of encase.

incautious (adj.)

1650s, from in- (1) "not" + cautious (adj.). The Latin adjective was incautus. Related: Incautiously. Incaution (n.) is attested from 1715.

incendiarism (n.)

1670s; see incendiary + -ism. Originally figurative; the literal sense of "malicious burning" is attested from 1755.

incendiary (n.)

c. 1400, "person who sets malicious fires," from Latin incendiarius "an incendiary," literally "causing a fire" (see incendiary (adj.)). Meaning "person who enflames political passions" is from 1630s.

incendiary (adj.)

mid-15c., "capable of being used to set fires," from Latin incendiarius "causing a fire," from incendium "a burning, a fire, conflagration," from incendere "set on fire, light up with fire, brighten," figuratively, "incite, rouse, excite, enrage," from in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + candere "to shine, glow, be on fire" (from PIE root *kand- "to shine").

Figurative sense of "enflaming passions" is from 1610s in English. Meaning "relating to criminal burning" is from 1610s. Military use, of bombs, shells, etc., attested from 1871. The obsolete poetic verb incend is attested from c. 1500.

incensation (n.)

"action of perfuming," 1851, noun of action from incense (v.2).

incense (v.1)

early 15c., encensen "to arouse, inspire," from Old French incenser, from Latin incensare, frequentative of incendere "set on fire," figuratively "incite, enrage, rouse" (see incendiary). From mid-15c. as "to provoke, anger." Literal sense "to heat, make (something) hot" is from c. 1500 in English but is rare.

incense (n.)

late 13c., "gum or other substance producing a sweet smell when burned," from Old French encens (12c.), from Late Latin incensum "burnt incense," literally "that which is burnt," noun use of neuter past participle of Latin incendere "set on fire" (see incendiary). Meaning "smoke or perfume of incense" is from late 14c.

incense (v.2)

"to offer incense, perfume with incense, fumigate (something) with incense," late 13c., encensen, incensen, from incense (n.) or from Old French encenser (11c.), or directly from Medieval Latin incensare.

incensed (adj.)

"full of wrath, inflamed with anger," 1590s, past-participle adjective from incense (v.1). Earlier it was used in heraldry, in reference to fire-breathing animals (1570s). Distinguished in pronunciation from incensed "perfumed with incense" (1610s), from incense (v.2).

incent (v.)

by 1992, U.S. government-speak, a back-formation from incentive. Related: Incented; incenting. Compare incentivize.

incentive (n.)

early 15c., "that which moves the mind or stirs the passion," from Late Latin incentivum, noun use of neuter of Latin adjective incentivus "setting the tune" (in Late Latin "inciting"), from past participle stem of incinere "strike up," from in- "in, into" (from PIE root *en "in") + canere "to sing" (from PIE root *kan- "to sing"). The sense apparently was influenced in Late Latin by association with incendere "to kindle." (Milton uses the adjective to mean "setting fire, incendiary.") Meaning "rewards meant to encourage harder work" is from 1948, short for incentive payment, etc. (see incentive (adj.)).

incentive (adj.)

c. 1600, "provocative, exciting, encouraging," from Late Latin incentivus "inciting" (see incentive (n.)). In reference to a system of rewards meant to encourage harder work, first attested 1943 in jargon of the U.S. war economy.

incentivize (v.)

by 1970, from incentive (adj.) + -ize. Related: Incentivized; incentivizing.

inception (n.)

early 15c., "a beginning, a starting," from Old French inception and directly from Latin inceptionem (nominative inceptio) "a beginning; an undertaking," noun of action from past-participle stem of incipere "begin, take in hand," from in- "in, on" (from PIE root *en "in") + -cipere, combining form of capere "take, seize," from PIE root *kap- "to grasp."

incept (v.)

1560s, "to commence, begin" (trans.), from Latin inceptus, past participle of incipere "to begin" (see inception). Related: Incepted; incepting.

inceptive (adj.)

1650s, "denoting the initial point or step," from French inceptif (16c.), from Latin incept-, past participle stem of incipere "to begin" (see inception). Interchangeable with inchoative. As a noun, "an inceptive verb," from 1610s.

incertitude (n.)

mid-15c., "variability," from Old French incertitude (14c.), from Late Latin incertitudinem (nominative incertitudo) "uncertainty," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + certitudo "that which is certain," from Latin certus "sure, certain" (see certain). From c. 1600 as "doubt, hesitation." Middle English also had incertain "uncertain" and incertainty "uncertainty," both from Old French, but both have been displaced by forms in un-.

incessant (adj.)

mid-15c., from Old French *incessant or directly from Late Latin incessantem (nominative incessans) "unceasing," from Latin in- "not" (see in- (1)) + cessans, present participle of cessare "to cease, go slow, give over, leave off, be idle," frequentative of cedere (past participle cessus) "go away, withdraw, yield" (from PIE root *ked- "to go, yield"). Related: Incessantly (early 15c.).

incessancy (n.)

"unintermitted continuance," 1610s, from incessant + abstract noun suffix -cy.

incest (n.)

"the crime of sexual intercourse between near kindred," c. 1200, from Old French inceste "incest; lechery, fornication," and directly from Latin incestum "unchastity, impious unchastity," also specifically "sexual intercourse between close relatives," noun use of neuter adjective incestus "unchaste, impure," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + castus "pure" (see caste). Old English had sibleger "incest," literally "kin-lying."

incestuous (adj.)

1530s, from Late Latin incestuosus "incestuous," from Latin incestus "unchaste" (see incest). Figurative use is from 1744. Related: Incestuously; incestuousness.

inch (n.2)

"small Scottish island," early 15c., from Gaelic innis (genitive innse) "island," from Celtic *inissi (source also of Old Irish inis, Welsh ynys, Breton enez).

inch (n.1)

"linear measure, one-twelfth of a foot," late Old English ynce, Middle English unche (current spelling c. 1300), from Latin uncia "a twelfth part," from unus "one" (from PIE root *oi-no- "one, unique"). An early Anglo-Saxon borrowing from Latin; not found in other Germanic languages. Transferred and figurative sense of "a very small amount, small quantity" is attested from mid-14c. As the unit of measure of rainfall from 1845. Sometimes misdivided in Middle English as a neynche. Every inch "in every respect" is from early 15c. For phrase give him an inch ... see ell.

inch (v.)

1590s, "move little by little" (intrans.), from inch (n.1). Meaning "drive or force by small degrees" (trans.) is from 1660s. Related: Inched; inching.

inchmeal (adv.)

"by inches, inch by inch," 1580s, from inch (n.1) + Middle English meal "fixed time, period of time, occasion" (see meal (n.1), and compare piecemeal).

inchoative (adj.)

1630s, "indicating beginning or inception;" see inchoate + -ive. Especially in grammar, of verbs, "denoting the beginning of action, inceptive," 1660s.

inchoate (adj.)

"recently or just begun," 1530s, from Latin inchoatus, past participle of inchoare, alteration of incohare "commence, begin," probably originally "to hitch up," traditionally derived from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + a verb from cohum "strap (fastened to the oxen's yoke)," a word of obscure origin. De Vaan says that as, incohere "is a frequent verb, ... its meaning can easily have derived from 'to yoke a plough to a team of oxen' ..., in other words, 'to start work.' Thus, there might be a core of truth in the ancient connection of cohum with a yoke."

inchworm (n.)

also inch-worm, 1844, American English, from inch (v.) + worm (n.). Other old names for it included loaper caterpiller, measuring worm, span-worm (1842), geometer, and surveyor (1680s). All are from its mode of progress.

incidence (n.)

early 15c., "incidental matter," from Old French incidence (15c.), from Late Latin incidentia, from incidere "to happen, befall" (see incident (n.)). Meaning "act of coming into contact with or affecting" is from 1650s. In physics, of rays of light, etc., considered with reference to direction, from 1620s.

incident (n.)

early 15c., "something which occurs casually in connection with something else," from Old French incident (13c.), and directly from Latin incidentem (nominative incidens), present participle of incidere "to fall in, fall, find the way; light upon, fall in with; fall upon, occur; happen, befall," from in- "on" (from PIE root *en "in") + -cidere, combining form of cadere "to fall" (from PIE root *kad- "to fall"). Broader sense of "an occurrence viewed as a separate circumstance" is from mid-15c. Euphemistic meaning "event that might trigger a crisis or political unrest" first attested 1913.

incident (adj.)

late 15c., "likely to happen," from Latin incidentem (nominative incidens), present participle of incidere "to happen, befall" (see incident (n.)). From 1620s as "occurring as a subordinate;" 1660s in literal sense "falling or striking upon."

incidental (adj.)

"casual, occurring casually in connection with something else; of minor importance," 1640s, from Medieval Latin incidentalis, from incidens (see incident (n.)). The earlier adjective in this sense was incident (1520s). Incidentals (n.) "'occasional' expenses, etc.," is attested by 1707. Incidental music "background music," originally in operas, is from 1812.

incidentally (adv.)

1520s, "by the way, casually;" see incidental + -ly (2). Sense of "as a new but related point" attested by 1925.

incinerate (v.)

"burn to ashes" (transitive), 1550s, from Medieval Latin incineratus, past participle of incinerare "reduce to ashes," from in- "into" (from PIE root *en "in") + a verb from Latin cinis (genitive cineris) "ashes," from PIE root *keni- "dust, ashes" (source also of Greek konis "dust"). Middle English had the word, from Latin, but only as a past-participle adjective meaning "reduced to ashes" (early 15c.). Related: Incinerated; incinerating.

incinerator (n.)

"device for waste disposal by burning," 1872, from incinerate + Latinate agent noun suffix -or.

incineration (n.)

"act of burning to ashes," 1520s, from French incinération (14c.), from Medieval Latin incinerationem (nominative incineratio), noun of action from past-participle stem of incinerare "reduce to ashes" (see incinerate).

incipient (adj.)

"beginning, commencing," 1660s, from Latin incipientem (nominative incipiens), present participle of incipere "begin, take up; have a beginning, originate," from in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + -cipere, combining form of capere "to take," from PIE root *kap- "to grasp." Related: Incipiently.

incipience (n.)

"beginning, commencement," 1792, from incipient + -ence. Incipiency is from 1764.

incipit

opening word of a Latin book or manuscript, Latin, literally "(here) begins," third person singular present indicative of incipere "begin" (see incipient).

incise (v.)

"to make a cut," 1540s, from French inciser (15c.), from Old French enciser "cut, cut out, slice" (12c.), from Latin incisus, past participle of incīdere "to cut into, cut open, engrave," from in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + -cidere, combining form of caedere "to cut" (from PIE root *kae-id- "to strike"). In geology, of rivers, from 1893. Related: Incised; incising.

incisive (adj.)

early 15c., inscisif, "slashing, cutting with a sharp edge," from Old French incisif (medical) "invasive, effective," and directly from Medieval Latin incisivus, from Latin incis-, past participle stem of incīdere "to cut into" (see incision). Originally literal; figurative sense of "mentally acute, sharply and clearly expressive" first recorded 1850 as a borrowing from French. Related: Incisively; incisiveness.

incision (n.)

late 14c., "a cutting made in surgery," from Old French incision (13c.) and directly from Latin incisionem (nominative incisio) "a cutting into," recorded only in figurative senses, noun of action from past-participle stem of incīdere "to cut, cut through, cut open," from in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + -cidere, combining form of caedere "to cut" (from PIE root *kae-id- "to strike"). Meaning "act of cutting into" is from early 15c.

incisor (n.)

"cutting tooth," 1670s, from Medieval Latin incisor "a cutting tooth," literally "that which cuts into," from Latin incisus, past participle of incīdere "to cut, cut through, cut open; engrave," from in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + -cidere, combining form of caedere "to cut" (from PIE root *kae-id- "to strike"). Inscisours as the name of a cutting tool is attested from early 15c. Related: Incisorial.

incitive (adj.)

"inciting, instigating," 1725; see incite + -ive. Other adjectives that have been used are incitative (c. 1500), incitatory (c. 1600), incitory (1941).

incite (v.)

mid-15c., from Old French inciter, enciter "stir up, excite, instigate" (14c.), from Latin incitare "to put into rapid motion," figuratively "rouse, urge, encourage, stimulate," from in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + citare "move, excite" (see cite). Related: Incited; inciting.

incitement (n.)

1590s, "action of inciting; that which incites," from French incitement (16c.), from Latin incitamentum, from incitare (see incite). Earlier was incitation (early 15c.).

incivism (n.)

"want of good citizenship," in English often with a menacing sense, a word from the French Revolution, 1794, from French incivisme; see in- (1) "not" + civic + -ism.

incivility (n.)

1580s, "want of civilized behavior, rudeness;" 1610s, "uncourteous behavior to others," from French incivilité (15c.), from Late Latin incivilitatem (nominative incivilitas), from incivilis "not civil," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + civilis "relating to a citizen, relating to public life, befitting a citizen; popular, affable, courteous," alternative adjectival derivative of civis "townsman" (see city). Meaning "an act of rudeness" is from 1650s. Incivil "not conducive to common good" is from mid-15c.

incivilization (n.)

"lack or loss of civilization," 1793; see in- (1) "not, opposite of" + civilization. Decivilization in the same sense is from 1815.

inclemency (n.)

"state or character of being inclement," 1550s, from French inclémence and directly from Latin inclementia "rigor, harshness, roughness," from inclemens "harsh, unmerciful" (see inclement).

inclement (adj.)

1660s, from French inclément (16c.) and directly from Latin inclementem (nominative inclemens) "harsh, unmerciful," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + clementem "mild, placid." "Limitation to weather is curious" [Weekley].

incline (n.)

c. 1600, "mental tendency," from incline (v.). The literal meaning "slant, slope" is attested from 1846 in railroading.

inclination (n.)

late 14c., inclinacioun, "condition of being mentally disposed" (to do something), "natural disposition due to a humor or the influence of planets at one's birth," from Old French inclination (14c.) and directly from Latin inclinationem (nominative inclinatio) "a leaning, bending," figuratively "tendency, bias, favor," noun of action from past-participle stem of inclinare "to bend, turn; cause to lean" (see incline (v.)). Meaning "action of bending toward" (something) is from early 15c. That of "amount of a slope" is from 1799.

inclined (adj.)

c. 1300, "having a mental tendency;" 1540s, "having a physical slope," past-participle adjective from incline (v.).

incline (v.)

in early use also encline, c. 1300, "to bend or bow toward," from Old French encliner "to lean, bend, bow down," from Latin inclinare "to cause to lean; bend, incline, turn, divert," from in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + clinare "to bend" (from PIE *klein-, suffixed form of root *klei- "to lean"). Metaphoric sense of "have a mental disposition toward" is early 15c. in English (but existed in classical Latin). Related: Inclined; inclining.

inclinable (adj.)

"amenable, disposed, having a mental bent in a certain direction," mid-15c., from Old French enclinable and directly from Latin inclinabilis, from inclinare (see incline (v.)).

inclose (v.)

alternative form of enclose (q.v.).

inclosure (n.)

variant of enclosure preserved in some legal uses. Related: Inclosure.

include (v.)

early 15c., "to shut (someone or something) in materially, enclose, imprison, confine," also "to have (something) as a constituent part," from Latin includere "to shut in, enclose, imprison, insert," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + claudere "to shut" (see close (v.)). The alleged Sam Goldwyn-ism "Include me out" is attested from 1937. Related: Included; including.

inclusion (n.)

c. 1600, "act of making a part of," from Latin inclusionem (nominative inclusio) "a shutting up, confinement," noun of action from past-participle stem of includere (see include). Meaning "that which is included" is from 1839.

inclusive (adj.)

"characterized by including a great deal, leaving little out," c. 1600, from Medieval Latin inclusivus (see inclusive (adv.)). The Middle English adjective was incluse "confined, shut in" (late 14c.). Related: Inclusively; inclusiveness.

inclusive (adv.)

"including the stated limits in the number or sum," mid-15c., from Medieval Latin inclusivus, from Latin inclus-, past participle stem of includere "to shut in, enclose" (see include).

incogitable (adj.)

"unthinkable, inconceivable," 1520s, from Late Latin incogitabilis "unthinking; unthinkable," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + cogitabilis "thinkable, conceivable," from stem of cogitare "to think" (see cogitation).

incognito (adj./adv.)

1640s as both adjective ("disguised under an assumed name and character") and adverb ("unknown, with concealed identity"), from Italian incognito "unknown," especially in connection with traveling, from Latin incognitus "unknown, not investigated," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + cognitus, past participle of cognoscere "to get to know" (see cognizance). Also as a noun, "an unknown man" (1630s). Feminine form incognita was maintained through 19c. by those scrupulous about Latin. Incog was a common 18c. colloquial abbreviation.

incognizant (adj.)

also incognisant, 1826, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + cognizant. Related: Incognizance.

incoherent (adj.)

1620s, "without coherence" (of immaterial or abstract things, especially thought or language), from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + coherent. As "without physical coherence" from 1690s. Related: Incoherently.

incoherence (n.)

1610s, "want of coherence in thought or language," from in- (1) "not" + coherence; formed on model of Italian incoerenza. From 1670s in literal sense "want of physical coherence."

incoherency (n.)

"want of coherence in thought," 1680s, from incoherent + abstract noun suffix -cy.

incohesive (adj.)

1826, from in- (1) "not" + cohesive. Related: Incohesively; incohesiveness.

incohesion (n.)

1781; see in- (1) "not, opposite of" + cohesion.

income (n.)

c. 1300, "entrance, arrival," literally "a coming in;" see in (adv.) + come (v.). Perhaps a noun use of the late Old English verb incuman "come in, enter." Meaning "money made through business or labor" (i.e., "that which 'comes in' as payment for work or business") first recorded c. 1600. Compare German einkommen "income," Swedish inkomst. Income tax is from 1790, introduced in Britain during the Napoleonic wars, re-introduced 1842; in U.S. levied by the federal government 1861-72, authorized on a national level in 1913.

incoming (n.)

late 14c., "action of coming in," from incoming (adj.), which is attested from 1753. As "that which is coming in" from 1892, originally of game; transferred in World War I to artillery; as a warning cry of incoming shellfire, it seems to date to the U.S. war in Vietnam (1968).

incoming (adj.)

1753, "coming in as an occupant," present-participle adjective from in (adv.) + come (v.). Of game, from 1892; transferred in World War I to artillery; as a warning cry of incoming shellfire, it seems to date to the U.S. war in Vietnam (1968).

incombustible (adj.)

"incapable of being burned or consumed by fire," late 15c., from Old French incombustible (14c.) or directly from Medieval Latin incombustibilis; see in- (1) + combustible. As a noun from 1807. Related: Combustibility.

incommensurable (adj.)

"having no common measure," 1550s, from French incommensurable (14c.) or directly from Medieval Latin incommensurabilis, from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + Late Latin commensurabilis, from Latin com "with, together" (see com-) + mensurabilis "measurable," from mensurare "to measure," from Latin mensura "a measuring, a measurement; thing to measure by," from mensus, past participle of metiri "to measure" (from PIE root *me- (2) "to measure"). Related: Incommensurably.

incommensurate (adj.)

"not of equal measure; not having a common measure," 1640s, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + commensurate.

incommensurability (n.)

1560s, from incommensurable + -ity.

incommodity (n.)

early 15c., from Old French incommodité (14c.), from Latin incommoditas "inconvenience, disadvantage; damage, injury," from incommodus "inconvenient, unsuitable, troublesome," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + commodus "suitable, convenient" (see commode).

incommodious (adj.)

1550s, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + commodious. Related: Incommodiously. A verb, incommode, is attested from late 16c., from Latin incommodare. The Latin adjective was incommodus "inconvenient."

incommunicable (adj.)

"not able to be communicated," 1570s, from in- (1) "not" + communicable. Earlier in a now-disused sense of "not communicative" (1570s). Related: Incommunicably.

incommunicability (n.)

1630s, from incommunicable + -ity.

incommunicado (adj./adv.)

1844, American English, from Spanish incomunicado, past participle of incomunicar "deprive of communication," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + comunicar "communicate," from Latin communicare "to share, impart," literally "to make common," related to communis "common, public, general" (see common (adj.)).

incomparable (adj.)

early 15c., from Old French incomparable (12c.) or directly from Latin incomparabilis "that cannot be equaled," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + comparabilis "comparable" (see comparable). Related: Incomparably.

incomparability (n.)

c. 1500, incomparablete, "quality of being peerless," from incomparable + -ity.

incompatible (adj.)

"that cannot coexist or be conjoined," mid-15c., from Medieval Latin incompatibilis, from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + compatibilis (see compatible). Originally of benefices, "incapable of being held together;" sense of "mutually intolerant" is from 1590s. Related: Incompatibly.

incompatibility (n.)

1610s, from incompatible + -ity, or from French incompatibilité (15c.).

incompetency (n.)

1610s, from incompetent + abstract noun suffix -cy.

incompetent (adj.)

1610s, "insufficient," from French incompétent, from Late Latin incompetentem (nominative incompetens) "insufficient," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + Latin competentem (see competent). Sense of "lacking qualification or ability" first recorded 1630s. The noun meaning "incompetent person" is from 1866. Related: Incompetently.