Table of Contents
The word for today is…
imminent (adjective):
: happening very soon
Source : Merriam -Webster
Etymology : Imminent bears a close resemblance to eminent, and native English-speakers can be excused if they sometimes have to check their spelling. No surprise, really, since the two, despite their very distinct meanings, come from near-identical sources. The Latin minere means basically “to project, overhang,” and it forms the root of other Latin words. One added the prefix e-, meaning “out from,” to produce eminere, “to stand out”; another took the prefix im-, meaning “upon,” and became imminere, “to project.” The difference between “stand out” and “project” is obviously small. Still, even when eminent and imminent first appeared as English words in the 15th and 16th centuries respectively, they were clearly distinct in meaning, imminent’s prefix having strengthened the “overhang” sense of minere to give the word its frequent suggestion of looming threat.
If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.
