immo

See also: Immo and -immo

French

Etymology

Clipping of immobilisation.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /i.mo/
  • Audio (France (Somain)):(file)

Noun

immo f (plural immos)

  1. (accounting, informal) fixed asset
    Synonym: immobilisation

Latin

Alternative forms

Etymology

May be for *ipsimō, from ipse. Otherwise the ablative singular of īmus with unexpected geminate /mm/, or conflated therewith.

Some comparativists, including Götze & Pedersen (1934) and more recently Kimball (1999) and Kloekhorst (2008), have compared Hittite 𒅎𒈠 (im-ma, truly, really, indeed) and Luwian 𒅎𒈠 (im-ma), hieroglyphic [script needed] (ima, indeed). The details of this connection are unclear at best, but if valid it would point to common inheritance from Proto-Indo-European. E.g., Kimball suggests to reconstruct *im*-moh₂, comparing the second element with Ancient Greek μᾰ́ (mắ). A major problem with this etymology is that the preservation of the geminate /mm/ all the way from PIE to Classical Latin is an unknown phenomenon.

Adverb

immō (not comparable)

  1. (negative) on the contrary, nay (rather), no indeed
    • c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca the Younger, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 1.47.1:
      “Servī sunt!” Immō hominēs. “Servī sunt!” Immō contubernālēs. “Servī sunt!” Immō humilēs amīcī. “Servī sunt!” Immō cōnservī, sī cōgitāverīs tantundem in utrōsque licēre Fortūnae.
      “They’re slaves!” [someone might say]. Rather, [they’re] human beings. “They’re slaves!” No, housemates. “They’re slaves!” Instead, humble friends. “They’re slaves!” On the contrary, fellow slaves — if you have considered that Fortune is allowed just as much [power] over both [slaves and free people].
      (Given Seneca’s rhetorical styling of rhythmic repetition in compact Latin, the English translator must decide whether to repeat the same word or phrase, or to vary the word choices — as seen here.)
    • 166 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Andria 29–30:
      SŌSIA: Dictum putā: / nempe ut cūrentur rēctē haec? SĪMŌ: Immō aliud.
      SOSIA: Consider it as said: namely, that these [preparations] be properly taken care of? SIMO: On the contrary, [there’s] something else.
  2. (reinforcing negative) actually, what is more, even (often strengthened by edepol, hercle, ecastor, vero, potius, etc.)
    Synonym: revera

Descendants

  • Sardinian: emmo

References

  • De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “immō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 300
  • Götze, Albrecht & Pedersen, Holger (1934) Muršilis Sprachlächmung (= Danske Vidensk. Selskab, hist.-filol. Meddelelser 21/1), København.
  • Kimball, Sara E. (1999) Hittite Historical Phonology. Innsbruck: Institut für Sprachwissenschaft.
  • Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008), “imma”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 5), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 384
  • Forcellini, Egidio; Furlanetto, Giuseppe (ed.); Corradini, Francesco (ed.); and Perin, Giuseppe (ed.) (1733-1965). Lexicon Totius Latinitatis. Bologna: Arnaldo Forni. Vol. II. p. 726.

Further reading

  • immo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • immo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • immo”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.