Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “-ify” come from?

-ify (English) comes from Middle English -ifien, from Old French -ifier, from Latin -ifico, from Latin -fico, from Latin facio, from Proto-Italic fakjō, from Proto-Italic *θakjō, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁k-yé-ti — to do, put, place.

-ify (English): To produce verbs meaning "to make"

Definitions

  1. To produce verbs meaning "to make"

Ancestry of “-ify”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle English-ifien—
2Old French-ifier—
3Latin-ificoEnlarged form of of -ficō; dative masculine...
4Latin-ficoForms factitive, causative, or other verbs from...
5LatinfacioI do; I make, construct, fashion, frame, build,...
6Proto-Italicfakjōto make
7Proto-Italic*θakjō—
8Proto-Indo-European*dʰh₁k-yé-ti—
9Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeh₁-to do, put, place

Words derived from “-ify”

  • intensify
  • intensifying
  • commodification
  • nullify
  • indemnify
  • electrification
  • codify
  • objectify
  • nullifying
  • intensifier
  • detoxify
  • electrify
  • horrify
  • countrified
  • humidifier
  • gasifier
  • acidify
  • ossify
  • commodify
  • decommodification
  • dehumidifier
  • relexification
  • tonify
  • sonification
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁- →