From Latin 'intervenire' (to come between) — the image of stepping between two parties or between cause and effect.
To come between so as to prevent or alter a result or course of events; to occur as an unexpected event between other events; to become involved in a situation to help resolve it.
From Latin intervenīre (to come between, to intervene, to occur between events), from inter- (between, among) + venīre (to come). Venīre derives from PIE *gʷem- or *gʷā- (to go, to come), one of the oldest motion roots in the family: compare Sanskrit gácchati (goes), Greek baínō (I go), Old English cuman (to come), Gothic qiman (to come). The Latin prefix inter- (between) reflects PIE
The word 'interval' is related but comes from a different Latin construction: 'intervallum' (space between ramparts), from 'inter-' (between) + 'vallum' (rampart, wall). So 'intervene' is 'coming between' while 'interval' is the 'space between walls.' Both use 'inter-' but with entirely different second elements — one
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