[1600–10; inter- + join]This word is first recorded in the period 1600–10. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: adaptation, alpine, dolly, progressive, quarantineinter- is a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin, where it meant “between,” “among,”“in the midst of,” “mutually,” “reciprocally,” “together,” “during” (intercept; interest). On this model, inter- is used in the formation of compound words (intercom; interdepartmental)