Imitation

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late Middle English: from Latin imitatio(n- ), from the verb imitari (see imitate).

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From Old French imitacion, from Latin imitatio

etymonline

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imitation (n.)

c. 1400, "emulation; act of copying," from Old French imitacion, from Latin imitationem (nominative imitatio) "a copying, imitation," noun of action from past participle stem of imitari "to copy, portray, imitate," from PIE *im-eto-, from root *aim- "to copy." Meaning "an artificial likeness" is from c. 1600. As an adjective, from 1840.