• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where does the word “imp” originate and What does imp mean?

Where does the word “imp” originate and What does imp mean?

August 5, 2020 by Karen Hill

In the days of King Alfred, that is, in Old English, an imp was a sapling or offshoot of a tree.

This meaning gave rise to a figurative use, the scion of some noble house or, especially, a male child.

Then, in due course, probably because most male children are mischievous, imp became synonymous with a young demon. Thus since the sixteenth century an imp may be a mischievous child, a young demon, or one of the petty fiends of hell.

The original meaning has passed completely out of use.

Related Facts

  • What does the word mugwump mean and Where does the word "mugwump" originate?
  • What Does the Word "Restaurant" Mean In French and How Did the Word For Dining Room Originate?
  • What Does the Word "Gymnasium" Mean in Greek and How Did the Word "Stadium" Originate?
  • How Did the Word "Tip" Originate and What Does the Word For a Gratuity Mean In German?
  • How did the word "idiot" originate and What does the word idiot mean?
  • Where does the word "travail" come from and How did the word "travel" originate?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Where does the word “Ignoramus” come from and What does Ignoramus mean?
Next Post: Where does the word “insult” come from and What does insult mean in Latin? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy