Imper

Imper is not a standalone English word in common use; rather, it is a Latin-derived morpheme that appears as a root in a broad family of words related to command, authority, and empire. In linguistic and historical contexts, imper- signals notions of power, rule, or order and is found in numerous derivatives across Romance and Germanic languages.

The root comes from Latin imperium, meaning command, authority, or empire, and from the verb imperare, to command. Through Latin and Old French, this root gave rise to English terms such as empire, imperial, imperialism, imperious, and imperative. The semantic field centers on governance and dominance, extending to the mood of verbs (imperative) and to descriptive terms about empires and their rule (imperial).

In English vocabulary, imper- appears in both neutral and evaluative words. Imperial describes things pertaining to an empire or its authority; imperious conveys an arrogant, commanding tone; imperialism refers to policy or practice of extending a nation’s power; imperative denotes necessity or a command form in grammar. The related noun imperator, used in ancient Rome for a commander, is the etymological ancestor of the modern title emperor in several languages.

In linguistic notation, imper- is sometimes abbreviated as imper. to indicate the imperative mood of a verb in grammars and dictionaries. While imper itself is not a common word, its derivatives are widespread in discussing history, politics, and grammar. See also empire, imperial, imperialism, imperious, imperative.