Imitate

google

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mid 16th century: from Latin imitat- ‘copied’, from the verb imitari ; related to imago ‘image’.

wiktionary

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From Latin imitatus, past participle of imito(“to copy, portray, imitate”).

etymonline

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imitate (v.)

1530s, a back-formation from imitation or imitator, or else from Latin imitatus, past participle of imitari "to copy, portray" (from PIE root *aim- "to copy"). Related: Imitated; imitating. An Old English word for this was æfterhyrigan.