Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “affection” come from?

Affection comes from Middle English affeccion, from Old French affection, from Latin affectionem, the accusative form of affectio, derived from the verb afficio meaning "to influence or act upon," ultimately from Proto-Italic adfakjō.

affection (English): The act of affecting or acting upon; The state of...

Definitions

  1. The act of affecting or acting upon; The state of...

Ancestry of “affection”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchaffectionaffection, love, fondness; medical condition,...
2Italianaffettoaffection; the object of one's affection;...
3SpanishafecciónA complaint, usually medical or legal; A medical...
4LatinaffectioThe relation or disposition towards something...
5Latin-tiō—
6Latindissertātiō—
7Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
8Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
9Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
10Latincalceusshoe
11Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
12Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “affection”

  • affectionate
  • affectionately
  • affectional
  • affectionateness
  • affectioned
  • unaffectionate
  • affectionless
  • affectionally
  • unaffectionately
  • affectious
  • nonaffectionate
  • disaffectionate
  • unaffection
  • affectionlessness
  • misaffection
  • affectionatus
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →