Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “beautify” come from?

Beautify comes from Middle English beutifien, derived from Old French beaute meaning beauty, which traces to Latin bellus meaning beautiful, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots related to fitness and worth.

beautify (English): To make beautiful, or to increase the beauty of;...

Definitions

  1. To make beautiful, or to increase the beauty of;...

Ancestry of “beautify”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbeutifien—
2Old FrenchbeautéAlternative form of biauté
3Latinbellusbeautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,...
4Latinvillushair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair
5LatinvellusThe wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool

Words derived from “beautify”

  • beautification
  • beautifier
  • beautifieth
  • beautifiable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →