Where does “characterise” come from?
Characterise comes from English character and the suffix -ize, from Latin -itia and -ia, from Ancient Greek χαρακτήρ meaning an engraved mark, derived from χαράσσω meaning to scratch or engrave, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- and -idyé-.
characterise (English): Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of...
Definitions
- Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of...
Ancestry of “characterise”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | -ise | Alternative form of -ize; Suffix used in... |
| 2 | Middle English | -ise | Alternative form of -yssh |
| 3 | Old French | -ise | used to form feminine nouns, often denoting a... |
| 4 | Latin | -itia | -ness, -ity |
| 5 | Latin | -ia | Used to form a feminine abstract noun, usually... |
| 6 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |
Words derived from “characterise”