imitor

Latin

Etymology

Deponent frequentative verb derived from Proto-Italic *imā, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- (“to imitate”); same source as Latin imāgō f (“a copy, image”), Latin aemulus (“envious, rivaling”, adjective) and Hittite 𒄭𒅎𒈠𒀸 c (ḫi-im-ma-aš /⁠ḫimmaš⁠/, “substitute, imitation”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈi.mi.tor/, [ˈɪmɪt̪ɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈi.mi.tor/, [ˈiːmit̪or]

Verb

imitor (present infinitive imitārī or imitārier, perfect active imitātus sum); first conjugation, deponent

1. to represent, express, portray
2. to imitate, act like, copy after, seek to resemble, counterfeit

Conjugation

Conjugation of imitor (first conjugation, deponent)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	imitor	imitāris, imitāre	imitātur	imitāmur	imitāminī	imitantur
	imperfect	imitābar	imitābāris, imitābāre	imitābātur	imitābāmur	imitābāminī	imitābantur
	future	imitābor	imitāberis, imitābere	imitābitur	imitābimur	imitābiminī	imitābuntur
	perfect	imitātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	imitātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	imitātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	imiter	imitēris, imitēre	imitētur	imitēmur	imitēminī	imitentur
	imperfect	imitārer	imitārēris, imitārēre	imitārētur	imitārēmur	imitārēminī	imitārentur
	perfect	imitātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	imitātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	imitāre	—	—	imitāminī	—
	future	—	imitātor	imitātor	—	—	imitantor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		imitārī, imitārier1	imitātum esse	imitātūrum esse	—	—	—
participles		imitāns	imitātus	imitātūrus	—	—	imitandus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		imitandī	imitandō	imitandum	imitandō	imitātum	imitātū

¹The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.

Derived terms

• imitābilis
• imitāmen
• imitāmentum
• imitātiō
• imitātīvus
• imitātor
• imitātōrius
• imitātrīx
• imitātus

Descendants

• → Asturian: imitar
• → Catalan: imitar
• ⇒ Latin: imitātus
  • → English: imitate
• → French: imiter
• → Galician: imitar
• → Italian: imitare
• → Piedmontese: imité
• → Portuguese: imitar
• → Romanian: imita
• → Spanish: imitar

From *reimitor:

• Galician: arremedar
• Portuguese: arremedar
• Spanish: remedar

References

• “imitor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “imitor”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• imitor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (1) to make a lifelike natural representation of a thing (used of the artist); (2) to be lifelike (of a work of art): veritatem imitari (Div. 1. 13. 23)