Impinge
/ɪmˈpɪndʒ/noun
To strike, affect, or encroach on something; to make an impact or intrusion.
Did you know?Impinge comes through French from Latin impingere, a forceful verb built from in- (“into”) + pungere (“to prick, stab”), so its oldest sense is about a stabbing impact, not a soft influence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peuk-
“to prick, pierce, sting”
Latin
Latin
pungere
“to prick, stab, pierce”
Latin
Latin
impingere
“to strike against, thrust into, dash upon”
Old French
Old French
empinger
“to impinge, strike against”
Middle English
English
impingen
“to strike against, come in contact with”
Modern English
English
impinge
“to have an effect on, interfere with, or encroach upon”