imply (English)
Where does "imply" come from?
The English verb 'imply' traces its lineage back to the Middle English 'implien'[1], which was borrowed from the Old French 'emplier'[1]. This Old French term descends from the Latin 'implicare', meaning 'to infold, involve'[1]. The Latin verb is formed from the prefix 'in-' meaning 'in' combined with 'plicare' meaning 'to fold'[1], ultimately stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root '*pleḱ-' meaning 'to plait, to weave'[4]. Along the way, the meaning shifted from physical enfolding and entangling toward logical suggestion and consequence. It is a doublet of both 'employ' and 'implicate'[1].
Open questions
- The Latin verb 'plicare' is likely a back-formation from compound verbs formed from the stem '*-plek-ā-'. [4]
- The Proto-Indo-European root '*pleḱ-' is an extension of the root '*pel-'. [4] [5]
Full etymology tree
- imply (English), 'To have as a necessary consequence; to lead to (something) as a consequence.'
- inherited implien (Middle English)
- borrowed emplier (Old French), 'alternative form of emploiier'
- inherited implicare (Latin), 'inflection of implicō:'
- compound in- (Latin), 'Prepositional prefix, generally attached to verbs to derive new verbs with a range of meanings.'
- inherited en (Latin), 'look! behold! (presenting something in a lively or indignant manner)'
- inherited *en (Proto-Italic), 'in'
- inherited *h₁én (Proto-Indo-European), 'in'
- inherited *en (Proto-Italic), 'in'
- inherited en (Latin), 'look! behold! (presenting something in a lively or indignant manner)'
- compound plico (Latin), 'to fold, bend or flex; to roll up'
- derived *-plek-ā- (Latin)
- inherited *pleḱ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to fold, plait, weave'
- derived *pel- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to cover, to wrap'
- inherited *pleḱ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to fold, plait, weave'
- derived *-plek-ā- (Latin)
- compound in- (Latin), 'Prepositional prefix, generally attached to verbs to derive new verbs with a range of meanings.'
- inherited implicare (Latin), 'inflection of implicō:'
- borrowed emplier (Old French), 'alternative form of emploiier'
- inherited implien (Middle English)
Ancestors
- emplier (Old French)
- implico (Latin)
Cognates and doublets
- employ (English)
- implicate (English)
Descendants and derived words
- impliable (English)
- impliable (English)
- implier (English)
- misimply (English)
Sources
- imply (English) - Wiktionary
- implico (Latin) - Wiktionary
- emplier (Old French) - Wiktionary
- plico (Latin) - Wiktionary
- pleḱ- (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
- in (Latin) - Wiktionary
Updated September 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris