That's an interesting observation. Limp & Gimp & Simp & Dimple & Chimp & Wimp... There is a relation between all these words, and I think it's mainly in how they sound similar to each other, but I think there is also a slight psychological effect when we make the "-im-" sound with our mouth, causing us to feel a vibe of submission or deficiency. There is a similar but not identical effect when we make the sound 'in'. Of course there are exceptions, for example Pimp has a powerful vibe, albeit with a flawed side. And words like Impact and Impending aren't strictly negative like Impair or Impede, but they do suggest a need for waiting in order for a problem to be solved or a gap to be filled. We need to be careful of not over-reaching. There is a risk we will see patterns because we're looking too hard for them. A kind of 'confirmation bias'. Still, I think you may be onto something. In some cultures, people chant certain sounds, for example chanting "Om", or reciting the Quran in a strictly prescribed way. This is closely linked to Cymatics.

The Latin root "im" means "in" and serves to specify a location for something. "Impediment" means (in Latin) "in the foot". "Impair" comes from "Im" + "peiorare" (to make worse). Your other examples contain sounds similar to "im" but do not come from this Latin root. In each case ("limp", "gimp", "maimed", "hindrance") the "im" sound is not a syllable of the word. "Maimed" does not even have the sound. Any connection with restraining or binding comes from other sources. If you are interested you can trace their origins in an etymological dictionary.

Hey there! 😊 Great observation! The "im-" and "in-" prefixes often come from Latin, where they can mean "not" or "into", which can give a sense of restriction or limitation. Words like impair, impede, and imprison all carry that idea of hindrance or restraint. In limp, gimp, and maimed, though, the "im" isn't necessarily a prefix—it just happens to be in the word structure. But your intuition about the pattern is spot on! 😉